Chasing the Ethereal Fox
by DemonFox38
Summary: Chapter 27: Sacrifices must be made. A few words can inspire courage, but they can also cause death. She should have never said anything. They could have duked it out. But it smelt like the ocean . . .
1. The Split

**Chasing the Ethereal Fox**

_A Tale of Mizuho_

**Author's Note:**

_You know I own nothing, baby! Just keep on reading!_

_This is a post-TOS fic. So, if you haven't finished playing Tales of Symphonia, I'd suggest that you'd pass on this one. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a good knowledge of Mizuho, either. (But, like anyone has __good knowledge about it, if you know what I mean. Sneaky ninja.) Kratos fans might want to pass this one up, as it has pretty much close to nothing about him in it. Again._

_BUT—If you like Sheena, and it doesn't matter what pairing, then you've found the right spot. There might be some Shelloyd, and there might be some Shelos, so don't be surprised or anything. If you also like pummeling, the supernatural, and anything involving ninjas, welcome home._

_Well, screw this. On with the ficcy!_

* * *

**Chapter One: The Split**

There is always a faint mist around the Gaoracchia Forest, although no one is sure quite why. It might be because the forest sits in between three bodies of water, securely kept in a pattern of rain and moisture. Maybe it has something to do with Sybak's pollution, and everyone wants to cover it up as something else. It's possible that through the years mana has pooled there and cannot escape for some reason, manifesting as haze. But, more than anything else, it has to do with ninja.

Ninja, who have been there since the splitting of the two worlds. Ninja, who still remain there. Ninja, who will continue to be present, even when the eye cannot see them. That is why the thought of ninja and their ways have always kept bards and poets on their toes, searching for them like they are magical fey. They seem invisible, born of darkness and solely meant for battle and espionage. The myths of the ninja have made themselves invincible in the hearts of many.

But, it is not so.

There was an unusual sound coming from the normally quiet forest of Gaoracchia. It gurgled and burped unusually in the night, birds cackling louder than before. Something had awakened. It made the kindness in the forest die, flowers and small trees withering in its path. Monsters that didn't turn tail and run were for the most part ignored, evil kin protecting evil kin. The dark entity swarmed around the outskirts of town, waiting for something with a malign patience.

It growled lowly to itself, "_Sheena . . ._"

* * *

"Sheena-chan! What are you doing? It's time to get up!"

"Aggh!" Sheena jolted awake, grabbing her futon cover in surprise. She should have known better than to be completely at ease around Mizuho, but it was her home. It's hard to feel comfortable in a town of spies and assassins, but barring that, Mizuho wasn't a bad town. They had taken her in, after all.

Her grandfather stood over her, laughing slightly. Igaguri lightly scratched his bald head, reprimanding his adopted grandchild, "You don't want to sleep in today, do you?"

Sheena shook her head, "I guess not." She couldn't quite remember why, though. There was always some great activity she had to attend to, partially because she was now considered the town's hero and future guardian. Compared to the hell her life used to be, she was more than willing to take up this job. She thought she would never outlive the town's anger and scorn for her. It's amazing what saving the world and forging pacts with the summon spirits will do for someone's reputation.

"Well, then," her grandfather patted her black hair, "I suppose you should go and wash up before your friends arrive."

Sheena got off her futon, "What? They're coming? Grandpa, why didn't you tell me?"

The clever old man smiled, simply answering, "I thought you'd like to celebrate with them. It has been a little while, and they all said they missed you terribly. Consider it my surprise present." With that, he walked out of her room and went off somewhere else. Waking her had disturbed his routine of meditation and katas, after all.

Even though she herself was a ninja, it was hard for Sheena to always predict the sneaky activities of her grandfather's ways. He must have had it planned out weeks in advance. Sighing, she grabbed a set of clothes and went to go take a quick bath. There was always a warm tub in Mizuho, and she appreciated that. Sheena was surprisingly clean, for someone who was raised out in the middle of nowhere.

Sheena went outside to one of the outdoor tubs, a white towel wrapped around her. It wouldn't hurt to soak for a little while, at least so she could think about a few things. Her friends were coming back! It wasn't like she didn't see them, but after the past few months, they hadn't been as tight as when they were traveling together. Lloyd and Colette occasionally stopped by for a night of rest, and Zelos liked to drop in every two weeks or so, to her chagrin. Raine and Genis could have been AWOL, for all Sheena knew. They had a lot of work ahead of them, so she understood why they had to be gone for so long. Presea and Regal had been about as equally out of touch, mostly due to business in Altamira and reconstruction projects. It was okay for Sheena to be alone, really. That was what ninja were trained for. She just wished she saw them more than usual.

Yes, Sheena was definitely going to enjoy today, and tomorrow, and however long her friends were going to be here. It was going to be wonderful.

She just wished she had more warning, "Hunny! Wow! What a way to greet me!"

"Aggh! What the hell?" Sheena barked, eyes snapping open from her relaxation. She wrapped her towel tighter around her, splashing the water at the same time. Her cheerful guest was doused with hot water, jumping back from the attack. With a slosh of water, she leapt out of the hot tub and went to find her clothes. This was not what she meant when she said she wanted to see her friends!

She had managed to get back into her pants when her ally recovered from the attack, "Sheena, that's no way to treat a friend!" He held out his arms, smirking, "Now, come here and give Zelos a hug, yeah? Make up for the splashy-washy?"

Instead, Sheena chucked a rock at him. Stumbling to avoid the attack, Zelos landed in the hot tub, water sloshing out like a geyser. He slopped his wet hair back, pouting a little bit. Sheena had finished dressing before he had taken a good look at her figure. Oh, well. He smiled, wriggling out of the hot tub, "Oh, playing hard to get. I see how it is. Well, that's okay, hunny! I am more than willing to pursue!"

Sheena shook her head, frustrated, "Don't you have any manners? You can't just walk in on people bathing!"

"Geez, I'm not the one bathing out in broad daylight," Zelos muttered, wringing his clothes clean, "And I got you such lovely birthday presents, too!"

Sheena waited for him for a moment, deciding not to completely ditch him. As annoying as the redheaded man could get, he was still her friend deep down. He was just a little too horny and needed to be smacked into place sometimes. Zelos was just a bizarre case in Sheena's life. She really didn't deal with people like him often, or at all. Most of the men of her village were subdued with their romantic endeavors, and any other guy she knew was either evil, young, naïve, or too nice to really bother her. Zelos was an annoying little outlier in her life, but she wouldn't necessarily cut him from it just because of that.

Ignoring Zelos's previous outbursts, Sheena asked, "Are you the only one here yet?"

That question was abruptly answered by a shrill cry of joy, "**MARVELOUS!**" Raine was definitely there, and wherever she was, there was her little brother. Sheena knew instinctively that Raine had found something of historical importance and was now proceeding to ramble on about it wherever she was. That brought her guest list up to three.

"They just got in the door when I showed up," Zelos filled Sheena in on the situation, "I hope your grandpa locked up his really old stuff. If she finds it, she might go nuclear on us, if you know what I mean."

Sheena lifted an eyebrow, "I don't think Raine would break anything. She's usually pretty safe with those kinds of—"

**CRASH!** "Oh, no! Sorry! I'm so sorry!" The list was up to six. Lloyd was never too far away from clumsy Colette, considering that he had saved her life Martel-knows-how many times. There had always been something cute between them, like a sickening sort of puppy love. Colette was overly affectionate, and Lloyd was caring in his own way. Their relationship was cute enough to gag a flock of penguins on.

Zelos smiled, crossing his gloved hands, "Well, do you hear that? It sounds like my second hunny is here. She likes to give me hugs."

"That's because you wouldn't dare make a move on her," Sheena fluffed her hair with the towel, "Lloyd would slash your ass to kingdom come."

"Oh, like overly protective guys have stopped me before," Zelos rolled his eyes, "Besides, you don't think Colette wouldn't be jealous if you hit on Lloyd?"

Sheena snapped around, marching backwards as she rebuked Zelos, "I don't want to deal with this today, okay? You're welcome to stay and all of that, but if you don't act on your best behavior around my grandpa, I'm going to—Acck!"

The ninja landed with a thud on the ground, tripping over a smaller pink-haired girl. Presea hadn't been hurt by the sudden run-in, but she was quick enough to nudge Sheena off her and help her back up. With an unusual callousness, Presea suggested, "Perhaps it would be a good idea to walk forewords when you are talking with Zelos."

"Would you look at that? My hunnies are all here!" Zelos beamed with delight, "I'm in heaven!" He picked Presea up and coddled her, almost like she was his child, "Oh, Presea! You've grown a little bit since last time, haven't you? You're so cute!" She quickly wriggled from his grasp and stood next to Regal, which in hidden body language meant, 'If he moves, sic him.'

Well, there were all seven of them. Lloyd and Colette hadn't changed a bit, still as perky and cheerful as ever. Genis was a little taller now, but he was still short enough to be an armrest for Lloyd. Presea had grown some too, but had a very youthful appearance to her. Raine still glowed with joy over the mystical do-dads in Sheena's home, eyes filled with wonder. Regal was a little cleaner looking than before and unshackled, hair still slightly unkempt. And, of course, Zelos was as annoying and intrusive as ever. Time had changed, but Sheena's friends really hadn't. There was something comforting about that.

"Hi, Sheena! Happy birthday!" Colette smiled, then looked down, "Sorry about your . . .um . . ."

Raine excitedly finished for her, "It was an Inari statue! Inari is considered to be one of the ancient gods of agriculture, symbolized of course by a fox and—" She continued rattling on like that for a while, quickly becoming white noise in the back of Sheena's head. It was like a reflex she had developed. Genis looked slightly concerned, powerless to stop his sister's rambling. She might be going on like this for hours.

" . . .Anyway, like Colette said before. Happy birthday!" Lloyd greeted her, giving her a hug. Lloyd's hugs were friendly, and he never meant anything ill by it. Sheena could trust Genis and Regal like she trusted Lloyd, too. It was just with Zelos that she was edgy. He always seemed to take a situation and make a phallic viewpoint from it, even if he didn't mean anything by it.

Presea was the next to greet Sheena, "So, how old are you now?"

Zelos made a face at Presea, "That's not very polite to ask, little lady." He smiled and added, "But, she is twenty years old now! Twenty is a very sexy age, if you ask me. It's not quite as liberating at twenty-one, but it's still fun!" Sheena sighed, not sure what to say. Maybe Zelos was just being an idiot because he was excited. Sometimes, Lloyd had the same problem, although he got more wound up about fighting than sex.

Sheena was about to clock Zelos on the head when her grandfather reappeared. He either had moved through his katas incredibly fast, or he wanted to save Zelos's life for some crazy reason. He humbly greeted her guests, "Well, you certainly appeared on time. I appreciate it." Chief Igaguri readjusted his purple kimono, and continued, "Sheena, you haven't forgot what you need to do tonight, have you?"

The young ninja girl shook her head, "Of course not! I've been waiting to do this for . . ." She blushed and finished, " . . .since I failed the first pact with Volt. It'll show that I really do have a pact with the spirits to my ancestors and my clan!"

". . .what's she talking about?" Lloyd was a little freaked out by Sheena's sudden vigor.

"Sheena will explain our tribal ceremony to you in time," Igaguri smiled, "But now, you must help her prepare for it."

Zelos raised an eyebrow, "By prepare, do you mean—"

Igaguri cut the Chosen's words short, "She will tell you. But first, get dressed. All of you look too much out of place here; you're accidents waiting to happen."

Now, Genis was starting to get a little concerned, "Dressed?"

* * *

It was . . .beyond bizarre. Sure, it felt extremely comfortable, but . . .and it looked good on him . . . but he felt naked. It wasn't like Lloyd wasn't used to wearing unusual clothing, but this was just too odd for him. His chest was kind of exposed, and everything wrapped around him so loosely. The upper part of the costume was torn on the ends, almost like someone had ripped into them with a knife. His pants and scarf were torn too, flowing around him. They were bright red and black, striking and wonderful colors on him. Maybe he could get used to the get-up.

"I have got to say, these Mizuho people are pretty snazzy dressers," Zelos beamed, walking around in a blue and white kimono. It didn't exactly match with his bright red hair, but he seemed to like it well enough. It probably had something to do with how loose fitting it was.

Regal sighed, tying his hair back, "It's . . .different. It's better than my old prison garb, at least." He was wearing a brown robe over a dark blue shirt and pants, a white ribbon keeping his long hair tied back. In Zelos's mind, the colors really didn't match all that well, but he wasn't one to critique style or Sheena's culture.

"You don't have to wear this weird necklace," Genis muttered, putting on a purple set of beads, "I suppose it does have some kind of mystical symbolism, blah blah blah, insert Raine rambling here." He also adjusted a woven hat on his head, which almost matched with the green robes and shorts he was wearing.

Lloyd laughed, "That's the professor, all right." Adjusting his sword belts one more time, he asked, "Well, should we go find Sheena?"

"Sure!" Zelos was more than willing to volunteer, "I'll go check on the ladies." He just about slunk outside the door when Regal caught him by the back of his robe and stopped him. The Chosen growled, then gave in, "Okay, Genis? You go check on the girls. Your sister won't kill you if you walk in on them."

A voice yelled back at them, "We've been ready for half an hour!" Raine didn't sound happy with them. Zelos continued to shove Genis out in the front, hoping that if Raine did attack, he would take the first blow. Lloyd sighed, and quickly followed the Chosen out. Regal tailed after the impatient boys, more or less amused at their quarrelling.

Zelos drooled on the floor when he first caught sight of his beloved hunnies. Raine had a white and red robe on, something like a shaman or a priestess would wear. Colette was pretty cute too, a beaded purple shawl thrown over her blue tunic and slightly puffy pants. Presea was pink from head to toe, hair wrapped up in small buns on her head. And then, of course, was the lovely summoner. She had a purple and white robe on, something beyond beautiful. She almost looked as elegant as a bride.

"Hunny! You wore that just for me?" Zelos grinned, playing with her very long sleeves, "Oh, it just takes my breath away!"

Sheena muttered, "And yet, you won't asphyxiate and die."

"Sheena-chan! Is that any way to treat your guests?" Igaguri appeared almost out of no where, wearing a lilac robe similar to Sheena's. He cheerily forgave his granddaughter, "Now, make sure they are prepared for the ceremony. Our village looks on this as one of the most important events of the year, you know."

As the elderly man was exiting, Raine got worked up into a frenzy, "Yes! Sheena, you must explain this to us immediately!" Her eyes glimmered with insane joy, something so intense it even scared her little brother.

"Ah, well . . .okay," Sheena was willing to comply with Raine's curiosity. She started, "First, I need you to hold out your hands and close your eyes."

Everyone did so, slightly cautious about what they were doing. Sheena closed her own eyes, drawing out eight stones from one of her pockets. They were the gemstones of her elemental summoning pacts, all glowing with a soft power. She placed one in each of their palms, keeping the last one in her own hand. With a gentle touch, she shut each of their hands in a balled fist, "Okay. Open your eyes."

She looked at the gemstone still in her hands. It was the sardonyx, the stone of Volt. That particular summon spirit had caused her a great deal of suffering, but it also proved her strength of body and spirit. It was fitting that she had recieved it randomly. Equipping it, she explained to her friends, "You guys are the closest thing I have to a real family, outside of my grandpa. So, that's why I asked you to participate in this ceremony. You've got to keep those stones on you to show your respect for me, at least for today." She bowed her head in embarrassment, "I guess that sounds weird, but our culture holds respect in high regard."

"It isn't weird at all, Sheena," Genis smiled, slipping Gnome's ruby on his finger, "It's kind of cool. It's like we're part of your family!"

Sheena was happy to hear that, "Thanks . . .I guess this year, our fortune will be told by Volt. It'll be good to show everyone that I can control him, after how I failed." Quickly overcoming her sorrow, she asked, "Can I see what everyone got?"

Her friends were more than willing to show her. Colette received Efreet's garnet, both to Zelos and Lloyd's frustration. Raine had the Sylphs' Opal, the polar opposite of what Genis had. Lloyd showed Sheena the sapphire of Celsius that he had, and Zelos brandished Luna's Topaz hotly. Presea possessed the Amethyst of Shadow, which left Regal with Undine's Aquamarine. In some ways, it was completely random, but in other ways, it made sense. She had done a pretty good job assorting their gemstones.

"Anyway, for the rest of this . . .you guys can pretty much sit back and hang out," Sheena explained, "It's not like you haven't seen a summon spirit before."

Regal tried to encourage Sheena, "Do not belittle your powers. They have saved our lives many times."

The ninja blushed again, then motioned for her friends to go outside. They could be so embarrassing, sometimes. It was probably because they were so open and expressive with their feelings. As everyone stepped out into the daylight, Lloyd and Zelos hesitated for a moment. They both turned back and gave Sheena a hug, Lloyd more out of friendship than Zelos's lust. She accepted both of them, though. In a way, it meant that they both loved her. She just wished she could smack some sense into Zelos.

The day was bright and beautiful out. Sheena stepped out into its warmth, watching her friends and the citizens of Mizuho laugh in the sunshine. Everyone was so happy, something she hadn't seen in years. They all used to avoid her like a plague—now, she was officially accepted. It didn't matter what her ranking was, or anything like that. She had proved her courage and honor, and she had gained everyone's trust again. She didn't think she could possibly feel any prouder or happier. Life wasn't so bad, for once.

Then, something crackled in the sky.

Dark clouds swelled out of nowhere, swallowing the sky in seconds. Sheets of rain poured down, drenching everything. A few citizens made their way back into their houses, shielding their children from the rain. Something felt unearthly cold, mist slithering its way into town. There was no light, save for an unusual flow from flecks of mana in the air. Something powerful had come.

"Sheena? What's going on?" Zelos asked, voicing everyone's concern. The ninja shook her head in confusion. She could hear something jumping back and forth across the houses in Mizuho, clay shingles falling to the ground and shattering. There were eyes she could barely see glowing red in the haze. Her breath caught in her chest—there were so many of them . . .

"**Sheena! Summoner of Mizuho! I have come to punish you!"**

Lloyd jumped, startled, "Where did that come from?" He braced his hands on his swords, prepared to fight even in more dressy clothes.

There was no time to react. Stone jutted barely out of the ground and penned the eight heroes within it. Lightning twisted around them, circling them with their power. A black force field drew upwards, engulfing their area in complete darkness. Sheena could barely hear someone cry from the distance. In her state of panic, she thought it was her grandfather. All she could do was scream, "No!"

"**Beast of the soul, I command ye! Banish these souls to the outer dimensions! Come, Verius!"**

Sheena's heart almost stopped as the mana ripped her and her friends out of the conjoined worlds of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant, " . . .Verius?"

There was a loud explosion of sound, and then they lost consciousness.

* * *

. . ._Corrine_ . . .

Sheena didn't know if she had a body, but her heart hurt. Those words . . .whoever had spoke them commanded the supposedly untamable summon spirit. This kitsune creature was born out of the noble sacrifice of Sheena's first true friend, a deep being of pure emotion. It had even refused Sheena's request to make a vow with it, but it had blessed Sheena for her heart and her honorable quests. There was no way anyone could make a vow with him . . .was there?

Something vast and purple folded around her, cloudy fog setting her body down on a grassy plain. Bamboo trees shot up in all directions, almost growing out of the ground as Sheena regained consciousness. She was surprised to find she could still breath. Her muscles ached from the spell, but she was still in one piece. She had that to be thankful for.

Waking up, she found her friends lying unconscious next to her. She gently awoke them by patting them softly on the face. They all moaned and shivered like her, bodies anguished from the sudden jolt from reality. They weren't even in their own home world anymore. Not even Derris-Kharlan felt this weird. Sheena considered whether or not they were there for a moment, but her heart told her no. This was someplace new . . .and terrifying.

"Are you guys all okay?" Sheena asked them, trying to keep some optimism in her voice.

Colette shuddered, cuddling into Lloyd out of fear, "I guess. I'm not very happy about this."

A dazed Zelos held his head, "I feel like I've been shoved through a meat grinder."

" . . .what should we do?" Lloyd questioned, looking up and around them, "We can't stay here."

Raine frowned, "I'm not sure what we can do, Lloyd. We're not even home, anymore. There's probably no way we can get back."

"_That is wrong, Miss Sage. I can assist you._"

Sheena turned around and jumped in surprise. There, standing in front of her, was a four-foot tall kitsune with blue feet and tips on its tails. A round bell hung from its neck, jingling hollowly in the dark forest plain. Its eyes had no pupil, bright orbs of red staring fondly at its former master. It was Verius, the summon spirit of heart.

The ninja was overjoyed and terrified, "Corr—Verius! How did you . . .who was that. . . how did they . . ."

"_I am afraid I cannot explain everything that has happened, Sheena,_" The fox spirit calmly explained, "_Simply know that I have been defeated . . .beyond my will._"

Regal blinked in confusion while studying the creature, "Beyond your will? Did someone force you into a pact?"

The kitsune glared back, "_You could say that. I had little choice in the matter. All spirits are bound to the pact system, whether they like it or not. I have been forced to work for the hands of evil_."

Sheena gasped, hugging Verius around his neck, "I'm so sorry. I would have been there to protect you, if I had known." She sighed, "I suppose there is nothing we can do to break the pact."

"_There is something you can do,_" Verius explained calmly, "_I cannot reverse the spell that I preformed against you, neither can any of the summon spirits. However, if you eliminate my current owner, you can undo the spell and return to your home dimension_."

Lloyd perked up at that, "Really? That's great!"

The kitsune told more, "_I cannot bring you home or defend Mizuho. But, as the way things stand, I can transport you and your friends back and forth between alternate dimensions and nexus points. I may even be able to help you fight. Until you slay my master, I cannot bring you home. I am sorry, for this._"

Sheena accepted the answer, although it was depressing, "Okay. How do we do this?"

"_You must activate the powers hidden within the emblems of the eight elemental summon spirits so that you may enter my master's realm of evil. From there, you can destroy his mortal form and return home,_" Verius spoke, a smooth calmness in his voice, "_It will take some time. But, there is good news._"

Genis shrugged, "It's better than nothing."

Verius continued, "_Volt has already agreed to awakening the power of the Sardonyx. I have been proof of the strength of your heart, Sheena. Through affirming your character with the rest of the summon spirits, you will not fail. I trust you to save my life, as well as that of your friends'._"

Sheena smiled, happy with that. She drew in a sharp breath as Verius began to fade from their dimension, "W-wait! Don't leave us! We're lost!"

"_You all are armed. Efreet will be contacting you soon. There is no reason to be discouraged, Sheena,_" Verius whispered as he faded away from their realm, "_My master calls. I have no choice but to obey him. Please, Sheena. Succeed . . .for my sake . . ._"

With that, the kitsune faded away in the darkness once more. Everyone fell into silence, unsure of what to think. It was cold and lonesome, no other life stirring wherever they were. Presea and Colette looked especially depressed, heads bowed and eyes lowered. It was so much to take in at once. If they failed, they might not be able to go home. There might not even be a home.

"Well, looks like we don't have any choice," Sheena stood up, taking charge of their situation, "Are you guys ready to help me?"

Everyone smiled, nodding their approval. Their friendship had saved their lives before. They could count on each other, no matter what. The only thing threatening them was time itself. With each other's help, they had no doubt that they could overcome evil once again. However . . .

. . .there was no indication if their home world itself would hold out that long.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, there you go. Mystical ninjas in outer-realm dimensions. It's like h2g2 with katanas. It'll be a good action/suspense story, at least! Who knows? Maybe even romantic?

. . .nah! I'm not too good with romance.

I hope you've enjoyed it so far. If it looks like I haven't really dived into someone's character yet, give me a couple chapters. I'm usually pretty good with everyone getting the spotlight. Well, that and weird battle scenes. There's sure to be plenty of those, too!

So, if you liked, review please! I'm not going to hold the story ransom or anything—it'd just be nice. Next chapter will be within the month, fate-willing. Who knows? Maybe even sooner!


	2. A Thousand Prismatic Dunes

**Chapter Two: A Thousand Prismatic Dunes**

". . .so, they are still alive? This is not what I asked of you, Verius."

The fox stood without movement, "_You only requested for their removal from this plain of existence. I placed them in a spot where they could survive. You did not specify on their physical status._"

His master did not rebuke the kitsune. Instead, he stared at the ruins of Mizuho. Buildings were burning with dark red flames dancing in the sky. Pools of water around the territory had all become tainted and poisonous. There was no more natural light, just paper lanterns bobbing in the cold wind. The life had drained out of Mizuho.

"Very well, then," Verius's master spoke, "As long as they cannot cross back into this land, it will not matter. This place and its people are mine to have."

It was then that Verius took a look at the citizens of Mizuho. Many had been ripped apart, bloody corpses lining the streets. Some had been imprisoned within their homes. Others that had surrendered to the evil walked around with a dead glaze in their eyes. Sheena's grandfather had been . . .and Tiga and Orochi . . .they did not deserve their punishments. They were far worse off than the dead. Even with Sheena's love in his heart, Verius could not do anything to stop it or disclose to anyone what had happened to them. Sins against the earth were one thing—sins against flesh . . .

The master grumbled, "Verius, I have no more need for you. Dispel yourself." He was not in a pleasant mood.

Verius hesitated for one moment and then murmured, "_As you wish._"

* * *

How far did they walk until they stopped? She didn't know. Everything was the same—bamboo, bamboo, maybe a mushroom, and then some more bamboo. It was the forest that wouldn't end. Genis finally convinced the group to lie down and sleep after walking for hours. It was good that they had stopped. Her legs were aching, and she wanted to be prepared for the tests that lay ahead for her friends. She had to be their guardian. Then again, that wasn't anything new.

Sheena awoke lodged in a dog pile. Colette and Genis had wiggled their way into the middle, cozily sleeping on whoever's back was behind them. Lloyd slept next to Colette with his legs sprawled out. Raine was dozing next to Genis and Regal, wedged comfortably in between. Presea cuddled into their shoulders, halfway between her protectors. It was cute, kind of like a squirming pile of puppies.

Well, she thought it was cute until she Zelos's head resting comfortably on her chest.

"Get the hell off of me!" Sheena yelled as she shoved Zelos off. She didn't want to know why he was there. It could have been a bad reflex or a shift in the night or maybe even intentional. She didn't want him using her as a pillow, especially not like that.

After smacking his head on the ground, Zelos woke up pretty fast, "Whoa! What? Oh, hiya, hunny!"

Sheena was about ready to murder him, "What the hell is wrong with you?" In a sudden rage, she pounced on the Chosen and began to beat on him. That was enough to wake everyone up. Genis just rolled his eyes and flopped back over to get some more sleep.

Zelos tried defending himself, but he was at a loss, "Hunny! I didn't mean to—hey! Ouch! Ack! Come on, they're called dirty pillows for a reason! AGGH! Didn't mean that!"

Just as Sheena was about ready to deliver a coup de grace, Lloyd decided to intervene. He grabbed Sheena by her arms and dragged her backwards, "Okay, that's enough killing Zelos." The ninja still thrashed in anger, stomping on Lloyd's toe. The swordsman dropped her, "Ouch! Sheena, knock it off!"

Sheena finally stopped and apologized, "Ah, Lloyd! I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you . . .are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine . . ." Lloyd whimpered, massaging his foot, "Zelos, next time, ask before you sleep on her."

Zelos half-laughed, mostly out of fear of being attacked again, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Sheena." He smiled, "But, you know, you do make a pretty comfortable pillow."

Between Colette and Regal blocking Sheena's attacks, a second fight was averted. Barely. Raine couldn't believe how childish her teammates still were. Most of the time, she felt like she was the only one that had her head attached. Kratos had been calm and cool like her, but considering how he had betrayed their party, she didn't hold his memory well. Regal was quiet and considerate too, but he had depression issues. Beyond them, no one was great at planning, save for Zelos's bouts of manipulating women and Sheena's hunting abilities. Some days, it felt like she was fighting a battle against lunacy.

And losing.

"If you people are done, maybe we should consider our current situation," Raine grumbled, quickly catching everyone's attention. Even Genis woke up. Raine was not a pleasant person when she was pissed off. As soon as she had everyone's attention, she ran through her checklist of problems, "We need to find some form of nourishment fairly soon. Water should also be a top priority. If it is not offensive to you, Sheena, we need to modify what we are wearing to be a little more combat appropriate."

Sheena shrugged, "It's no problem to me. Now that you mention it. . ." The ninja took one of Lloyd's blades and started tearing chunks of her kimono off. She cut the robe a little above her knees, trimming the back sash a little short as well. With some dismay in Zelos's eyes, she hacked off the long sleeves and wadded them in a pile with the rest of the discarded fabric. Her ninja instincts screamed for her to destroy the evidence of the scraps, but she felt there was no one here besides her friends. She'd have to leave the rest where it was, at least for now.

After a few minutes of hacking clothing or losing undershirts, everyone was pretty much ready to go. Raine approved of their decisions, almost like a battle general. It was strange how the healer was so commanding. She smiled, "Good. Well, all we have to do is wait for Efreet."

"_I've been here for some time already._"

Although Efreet was an insanely powerful being, his voice didn't bellow when he spoke. He was the spirit of fire, true, but he did not act in a chaotic manner. He towered over the party, hovering in the air since he had no legs. He looked like a rust-colored djinni. His very presence was enough to show his true force. Efreet didn't need to exert his power beyond his appearance and attitude.

Zelos smiled, addressing the spirit like if he were anyone else, "Good timing!"

"_Time is no concern of mine, but I understand why you mortals like it so_," Efreet quickly skipped over Zelos's ramblings, "_Summoner, are you prepared for your first test?_"

Sheena shrugged, "I guess as much as ever. What do you want us to do?"

Efreet addressed his task, "_I will be taking you to another plane. Verius will meet you there. Your assignment is to eliminate a monarch that reigns over the area. I do not think it will be a difficult task._"

"That doesn't sound too bad," Colette seemed pretty optimistic, "Why does this man have to be killed?"

The summon spirit was short with Colette, "_There is much here that you do not understand. Hopefully, the situation will clear itself with yourselves in time._"

Lloyd muttered, "Man, I hate situations like that . . ." He quickly corrected himself, "Ah, well, okay then! We'll take out this . . .ah, what was his name?"

Efreet did not give Lloyd the man's name, nor any time to react to the sudden spin in reality. Everything swirled in a rage of orange fire. Zelos grabbed his stomach, the shift in dimensions making him nauseous. They tore through space-time and its delicate fabric, nexuses and bright lights exploding with energy as they flew by them. Everything moved so fast!

With a plop, the party arrived in the new dimension. There was a poof of sand and dust as the party landed ungracefully. Sheena was a little grouchy with Efreet, "You know, a warning would have been nice."

"_You're fine. I would not have harmed my summoner,_" Efreet laughed, "_You are all right. Now, go and take the time to prepare for an attack. A few miles northeast of here, there is a large adobe castle. You must enter here and destroy all that serve within it._"

The spirit took special time to address Colette and Sheena, "_Chosen girl, you must be careful. You bear my garnet, so you are currently under my trial. The gravest of dangers are pointed towards you. Sheena, remember that Volt has already ordained your powers. Use them to protect your friends' lives. Verius should be here soon._"

For someone who didn't pay much attention to the space-time continuum, Efreet was good at making predictions. The fox spirit appeared in a bright blue puff of smoke and mana. He seemed much smaller in comparison with the fire spirit. Still, Sheena was glad to have him around. She had learned early on in traveling with Lloyd (and fighting against him) that attacking in groups always had wonderful advantages. She hugged the kitsune, still thinking of him as the small fox he used to be.

"_Greetings to you as well, Sheena_," Verius greeted her rather coldly, "_May we focus on the conditions at hand?_"

Sheena was struck by his callousness, "Oh . . .all right." It was hard to imagine Verius as anything but Corrine. She loved Corrine so much . . .sometimes she forgot she didn't have him anymore.

Efreet cut straight to his points, "_I will not be able to help you, Sheena. You must rely on the other spirits' help, as well as Verius. It's part of the trials, you know._"

"Yeah, I get it," Sheena smiled, "Don't worry. I think I've got it under control."

Efreet chuckled at the girl's sense of humor, "_Well, we shall see about that. Be careful, summoner. I have had many masters, and you are turning out to be one of the ones I like._" He burned away from the desert, disappearing in a flare of fire and smoke. Everyone coughed in the sudden disappearance. Summon spirits could be so odd like that.

Zelos groaned, "Man, that's going to get annoying. I don't know if I'm going to stand it when the Sylph show up . . ."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Raine interjected, "Now, let's get moving. Before long, the sun will be overhead of us, and it'll get miserably hot. We might as well break into this place as soon as possible, and then we can worry about food and water."

Lloyd jumped up to the front ranks, "Right! Well then, Verius and Sheena, let's go see where this castle is!" He began marching foreword, then abruptly stopped, "Eh . . .which way's northeast?"

There was a collective sigh from the group. Presea decided to go ahead and help track where they were, "This way." Lloyd blushed with embarrassment, still surprised that he didn't know how to tell non-cardinal directions. His specialty was sticking swords into things; as long as someone else knew directions, he would be okay.

Zelos complimented Lloyd, "Hey, at least he asked for directions."

It was getting hot. Unbearably hot. Genis was thankful that he had shorts on, but everyone else was having difficulties with the terrain. Presea was doing all right, much better than Zelos or Lloyd. Regal still couldn't bring himself to hack his clothes to pieces, but he wasn't above taking his shirt off. (He ran half-exposed all over Tethe'alla and Sylvarant with Lloyd and company; this wasn't a drastic step.) Raine kept alternating between periods of exhaustion and absolute glee. There were some unusual ox-like beasts running around, and the sky was littered with suns and stars. Colette was fairing well, hovering on her wings to reduce stress. Lloyd was perfectly fine, almost oblivious to the heat in his zeal for adventure. Sheena wished she could say she was doing so well, but she was little more sensitive to the heat. Zelos. . . well, Zelos. . .

"It's so hot out here!" Zelos exclaimed, "Hey, Verius! Can you do a buddy a favor and give me a ride? That would really cool of you!"

"_If it got extremely bad, Sheena would be able to summon Celsius. Do not complain so much. It is an unflattering trait_," Verius scolded the Chosen. Zelos wasn't quite sure how to take it. He was used to Sheena razzing him, but a summon spirit? It made him feel very meek.

Genis wiped some sweat from his forehead, "We've got to be getting close." He asked Raine, "Hey, can we get in a battle? I can cast Ice Tornado. We could cool off!"

"No battles," Raine shook her head, "We'll get in enough fights in the castle as it is. We need to save our health—Oooh! Would you look at this cactus?"

After an impromptu botany lesson, the party continued on. Everything was waving around them in mirages. Lloyd swore he saw his father out there in the dunes a few times, but he knew it couldn't be. He wished the heat wasn't messing with his head. Lloyd was a black-and-white kind of guy, even considering some of his enemies were now his friends. There were only two answers to every question.

Colette finally spoke up, "Hey, is that it?"

There was a building that jarred out of the red sky, something foreign to what the group knew. It was a pale, wide building with round towers guarding it. Balconies looped the exterior of the building. The windows were little more than slits in its side. The entire complex was built almost like if it were expecting a siege. It was large and foreboding, almost like a gargantuan dead toad squatting in the desert.

"Geez, this place is ugly," Genis frowned. He crossed his arms, unsure what to think of it. He wasn't fond of castle, dungeons, or anything huge and overpowering.

Zelos shook his head, "I swear, I've seen this thing before. Like, in a play or something." He snapped his fingers, "Oh, wait! I remember! It was one of those large dramas they throw at Altamira. Gosh, what was it called? . . .it was pretty good, though."

Regal raised one eyebrow, "Zelos, are you talking about the one with the morbidly obese gangster?"

There was a livid jolt in Zelos's eyes, "YES! That was the one! Oh, that was a hot show. Yes sir! And that one scene where the heroine comes to rescue her lover, only to be caught in a trap? Ripped my heart out!"

Sheena sighed, signaling, "Okay, that's enough, Zelos. Let's get moving." Everyone followed her commands, for the most part. Zelos was still rattling at the mouth as they went down towards, giving everyone a detailed description of the play.

"And then, there was the scene where her brother—but you didn't know it was her brother—was about to be executed, and then he was like **Fsswwh!** And he started cutting peoples heads off and stuff," he continued raving, "Man, his sister was such a hot—whoa."

The domed castle's entrance towered over them. It was closed, gears lodged firmly in the ground. Lloyd grumbled, wondering how they would get inside. He tapped on the door, listening to its iron strength. This door was solid. It wasn't going to open unless someone from the inside did them a favor. Considering how Efreet didn't like the guy ruling here, he didn't think they were going to get a free pass in.

Sheena stood akimbo, "Well, this is great. Should we knock?"

Zelos snickered, "I say we let Regal blast the door open. Nothing says good company like that."

"I can't believe you thought of that, Zelos," Genis shook his head, "I've got spells that I know would work just as well! Why doesn't anyone rely on me?"

Colette finally made a decision for everyone, "Let's just knock. If we have any problems, then we can use force. No need to be violent without a good reason!"

"I agree with Colette. We shall have to be prepared, though," Presea joined Colette's more pacifist stance. Although it was a cleaner way, Zelos still wanted to go with his plan. He had a smidgeon of bloodlust in him. Eventually, everyone agreed with Colette's idea. It was better to be safe than destructive. (Zelos wouldn't be sorry.)

Colette, Sheena, Zelos, and Presea decided to approach the door first. The Chosen girl reached up one fist and happily knocked on the door. . . .No response. Well, that wasn't anything that Sheena didn't expect. If this monarch guy was evil, he probably was dodgy too. She waited a little long as Colette continued to knock on the door. The angel started getting bored and tried different variations of knocking. Eventually, Zelos got tired with this and decided to join her drumming fest. They started playing games knocking back and forth on the door. Perhaps the Chosens had more in common than anyone was comfortable with.

Lloyd interjected, "Okay, this isn't working. Why don't we—aggh!"

The gigantic metal door shot upwards, dust flying everywhere. Coughing, everyone ran inside before they choked on the sand. As soon as they had entered, the door slammed shut. They had no idea what had happened, but that didn't stop Genis from making some theories. He muttered, "It was probably a code-sensitive door. They must have banged a security pattern, and we're being recognized as someone else."

Regal shook sand out of his shirt and put it back on, "We'll worry about details later. At least we're inside. . . It seems a little cooler in here."

"You're right! Look at that!" Raine pointed up at some ducts, "I bet that's some kind of cooling unit."

Zelos rolled his eyes, "The bastard has central air. Let's kill him."

"Let's try being quiet, huh?" Sheena shushed everyone, "We've got to keep on our toes. We're acting as ninja, now."

Presea took a quick opportunity to make her own little humor, "Zelos's chance of keeping his mouth shut: equivalent to finding a flying pig in the next room."

The Chosen just had to ask, "And what's that?"

"Not favorable," Presea cut him off. Zelos didn't quip back; he was feeling shunned.

Everyone fell into ranks. Sheena lead the front, Lloyd and Presea flanking her. Raine and Genis followed them, Zelos and Regal protecting the mages from attack. Colette and Verius took the back rank, the Chosen for anyone that could sneak up on them. They moved as quietly as they could, almost soundless except for a few shuffling feet. There was no sign of life except for a few lit torches along the way. The suns didn't get into the building, outside of the slits for windows. It was beyond creepy.

Something skittered across the floor. Colette jumped a little bit, nudging herself between Genis and Raine. A rat-like creature scurried behind her, out of sight before long. She sighed and went back into formation. Usually, she wasn't this scared. Efreet's words kept wringing in the back of her head. She was with her friends, right? She trusted them.

"_Chosen__, do not be nervous,_" Verius tried to calm the girl, "_Your senses will serve you well. Sheena would not let any harm befall you_."

Colette murmured, "I know she wouldn't. I'm just . . .I hope there's nothing really big here."

Verius continued talking with her, "_Size is not a matter of concern. Be wary of your strengths and weaknesses, and nothing shall defeat you_."

She smiled, "Okay. I'll do my best!"

Sheena opened the door to a room. It looked like some kind of central room. There were a few scattered chairs around the room, but it was mostly dusty floors and lanterns. A large flat dais sat at the front of the room, four strange weapons lying on the ground next to it. She took the time to investigate them, flipping them around in her hands. They looked almost like Efreet's blue gauntlets with spikes protruding from the ends. Punching daggers? She wasn't sure what to think of them.

Sheena rejoined the group, "Well, you tell me what to think."

Raine's eyes shined, "This is beyond marvelous! Oh, if we only had the time to study this! Would you look at the structure of that dais? It looks like marble!" She whacked it with her staff, "And it's much stronger than that! We are dealing with someone very rich and powerful here. Would you look at the detailing on the lanterns? Gold dragons! Oh, and—"

"Leg irons," Regal caught onto something grim. There was a dead creature in the corner of one room, hidden in the dark. It had been there for some time, but not long enough to completely rot away. Colette almost gagged at the discovery, watching in horror as Regal examined the body. He frowned, "Looks like there's more chains here. It's possible that this being we are supposed to kill does this for enjoyment. This person suffered greatly . . ."

Zelos shuddered, "Then I don't want to find out. Being beaten to death isn't my idea of fun."

There was a suck of air. All the lanterns in the room were slurped out of existence. Genis and Colette jumped in shock, both screaming a little. Everyone found their way back the center of the room, trying to cover each other's backs. Verius and Colette were the only sources of light in the room. Even with their illumination, all they saw were shapes moving in the dark. Someone had found them.

Sheena grumbled, "Okay, just leave this to me. I've fought before in pitch black. I think we can take care of this."

"**Joaqo kxo udwoc!**"

Zelos was bewildered, "What the hell was that?"

He didn't get his answer. Someone replaced the ground with pudding, or the closest thing to it. They sunk under too quickly to realize what had happened. Colette was the only one to evade the trap, hovering over where her friends once stood. She shrieked in fear, trying to find Sheena or at least Lloyd. If there was anything she feared, it was being left alone.

Someone cackled in the shadows around her. Summoning up invisible courage, she yelled, "Go away! Don't make me hurt you!"

"Nxuk aj jxo jfoubandw?" the deep voice in the dark seemed confused. It realized something, and then said, "Ev seihjo . . .You are not from our home world. That is why you don't know out language. But how did you get in?"

"If you're the person we're supposed to kill, then I'll do it alone!" Colette's voice was shrill with fear, "In the name of Efreet and on behalf of my friends, I will strike you down!"

The dark voice rumbled, "Efreet? My god has asked for my death?" He shrieked with laughter, "Oh, I am going to enjoy this . . ."

There was only one cry from the Chosen, "Lloyd!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I actually was planning to write more. After letting this sit for a couple of days, I decided to go ahead and release it. Let's face it—after this point, I get stab-happy and like making mondo battle scenes. (Mondo? . . .my old TMNT days.)

If you got the allusions & Easter eggs of the story, clap your hands!

Anyway, thanks for the support so far. I'll commence with the killing . . .shortly.


	3. Sunset Burning

**Chapter Three: Sunset Burning**

Well, this certainly was a hitch in the works. Sheena wasn't a stranger to finding herself in unusual positions, but she wasn't fond of how she was now. Her feet barely graced the ground. Above her head, her arms were fettered straight to the wall. No chains, no room to move—definitely a prison. Glancing back and forth, she found only three companions. To her left was Genis, and to her right was Zelos. Taking a squint past the Chosen, she also saw Presea. This screamed bad from the top of her cell to the bottom of her soles.

"Guys, wake up!" Sheena hissed through her teeth, "We've got to get moving."

There was a flutter of noise from Zelos, " . . .cranberry sauce. What? Oh, hi Sheena." He had been pretty unconscious, dreaming about only Martel knows what. Sheena didn't want to venture any further into his mind.

Presea awoke without a sound. She quickly assessed the situation, just like Sheena had. The child came up with the same conclusion as the ninja; this situation was dire, possibly critical. She tried fidgeting with her lock, but her fingers couldn't reach into it far enough. No, this was something beyond her alone.

Genis was the next up, " . . .Sheena? What happened? I can't remember anything. . ."

"You may have hurt your head after we fell," Presea spoke bluntly, "Do not be too concerned. I'm sure your sister will take care of us."

Zelos jolted alive, struggling a little in his bonds, "Wait, just where is my beautiful professor? And my cute little angel?"

"That's just like you, Zelos. This isn't the time to make jokes," Sheena growled, "It doesn't look like Lloyd or Regal's around, either. Or Verius, as long as I'm at it." She recomposed herself, "Well, we'll have to come up with an escape plan on our own."

Zelos murmured under his breath, "I didn't mean anything by it." He cleared up his attitude and tried to help, "Well, let's see what we've got to do. These cuffs are pretty annoying. Genis, you want to try casting something?"

"Yeah, sure. That's only if you want me to fry your hands off. Maybe you'd like some shrapnel injuries, too," Genis wasn't optimistic, "Let's try something else. Does anyone have anything like a skeleton key or a lock pick?"

Sheena grumbled, "I don't know what good it would do us. I can't reach my own lock, and I'm the only one here that could picks locks. Well, if Lloyd was here . . . but there's nothing we can do about it." She lowered her gaze, "If I could reach my cards, I could summon, but . . ."

"That's it!" Zelos boomed. His eyes gleamed with excitement, "Sheena, Volt gave you some kind of power or something, right?"

Sheena wasn't catching on, "Yes, but I don't know what it is."

Zelos cocked his head to the side, smiling, "Well, let's see. Volt has to do with electricity. Lots of things probably run on electricity here. There was that cooling unit we saw, and there are those lights above us. You get what I'm saying, sweet thing?"

"Sweet thing?" Sheena threw Zelos an evil glare. He shrugged, not apologizing for what he said. She tried to get back to his main point, "Okay, so I've got some power that relates with electricity. So I should do something with the lights? What's that going to do?"

Using a psuedo-Mizuho accent, Zelos advised, "Grasshopper, create a distraction, you must." Genis rolled his eyes when he heard that. Zelos was a pretty smart guy, but why did he let his mouth dumb him down? The plan itself wasn't so bad, but he just had to be an idiot about it.

Presea tried reassuring them, "It sounds like it may work. We might as well give it a try."

Sheena decided to humor her friends. They did always try to trust in her; she might as well go along with them. Closing her eyes, she tried concentrating on her inner power. The citizens of Mizuho believed that mana power was generated from an internal balance of elements. Tapping into her inner energy, she started filtering out her powers and focused on finding electrical mana. Sparks crackled at her fingertips, but the summoner didn't notice. It was shocking enough for her friends to watch, though.

The cell began to dim from Sheena's power. As her hands continued working up mana, the lights in the passages began to flicker. Fire from the primeval torches smoked out, energy consumed by whatever power Sheena was tapping into. Everything vanished in a puff of darkness. There was only the light from Sheena's hands, growing and smacking viciously against itself. It was brighter electrical mana than any of them had ever seen before.

Zelos was beginning to have second thoughts, "You know, Sheena, maybe we should just wait for—"

**Ke-dtdtdtdtDtkeh!**

There was a terrible roar from Sheena's hands. Even held at awkward angles above her head, they still had an incredible aim. Bright purple and white arcs spiraled from her grasp, smashing into the bars of the prison. Its power howled like an undead dragon. The intensity of the impact blinded them.

As soon as they had their eyesight back, they caught a look at the damage Sheena had done. The bars of the cell were folded over and crumpled, edges melted into heaps of metal. Her own bonds were destroyed, but they left two ringed burns around her wrists. She held them in mild shock. Even her touch felt like agony to the injuries. Whatever she had tapped into was monstrous.

"Hunny, are you okay?" Zelos was quick with assisting her, "Hold on a second. _First Aid!_" Zelos's mild healing spell soothed the wounds, skin growing back to normal. Even when he was a stupid jerk, he was kind and caring. It was one of few qualities Sheena liked about him.

Genis cheered for the Ninja, "Whoa, Sheena! That was pretty cool! How did you do that?"

She wasn't too sure herself, "I . . .I just don't know. That was pretty cool though, wasn't it?"

Presea tried to keep them focused, "Sheena, what you did was amazing. If you would pick our locks for us, that would be appreciated. We need to focus on reuniting with our friends."

"You've got a good point," Sheena plucked a hair-pin from her locks, "This will probably work." After fiddling around with the chains for a few minutes, she got the hang of the locks and easily tripped the release mechanisms. She let the kids off the hook first, then reluctantly let Zelos loose. She didn't necessarily hate him—she just liked to keep him in line.

Glad to be released, Genis began organizing their next plans, "Okay, we should cover this entire area. Then, we keep moving up until we find somebody else. If we're lucky, we will be able to cover the entire castle in . . .maybe two hours, minimum?"

"We do not have that kind of time on our hands," Presea crossed her arms, "We do not have the force to split up, either. I suppose we have no choice but to go with your plan."

Zelos tried to encourage his friends, "Hunnies, don't worry. We'll find everyone, and then we'll go and scrub that one guy out that Efreet wants nixed." Quickly rearming himself with weapons he found strewn on the floor, he commented, "This would have been easier if he would have given us a description of this dude, though."

Everyone found some weapons within a good amount of time. It just so happened that the guards that took their equipment didn't have much sense to keep it far away from the prisoners. That was enough of a good sign for Sheena. She had total confidence that she and her friends would succeed—and why wouldn't they? They had done well every other time!

"Okay, enough talk. Let's get moving!" Sheena signaled everyone to follow her around. There were no arguments with the Ninja. When she was the leader, no one had many problems with her. Even if she wasn't the smartest or the bravest, she had a level head and a solid sense of her surroundings. That was more than enough to be beneficial.

Still, they had some difficult challenges stacked against them.

* * *

"Lloyd! Watch out!"

It was beyond horrible. Colette peered into the abyss that held her best friend, shaking in fear. She had sensed something down there that felt draconically evil. She could hear Lloyd's attacks deflecting off something, most likely armor. He sounded like every attack was agony. She couldn't bear it! She had to help Lloyd somehow!

The gigantic creature that stood behind her laughed, "Oh, child. I did not mean to have to cause your friend's death, but if it is the only way to convince you to do this for me . . ."

Colette glanced back up at her captor. He was much taller and larger than she was. He looked kind of like Efreet, in a way—he did have dark red skin like the spirit. The man wore several gold plates of armor, bracers stretched across his four muscular arms. He had no hair to speak of, just fiery blazes where it should have been. His eyes were radiating yellow embers, almost like staring inside of a volcano ready to blow. Colette could be strong in times of desperation, but there was no way she could defeat him on her own.

"Still wish to fight me, little angel?" the burly creature laughed, "It will not do you any good if you are defeated. It would be worse if your valiant knight were killed, though . . ." He crossed his arms, "I suppose you will have to make a choice, won't you?"

Colette wrung her hands together, eyes wavering down towards Lloyd again. He needed her to stop the battle before he was killed. A million things came across her mind. What if it was a ruse? What if Lloyd could defeat that monster on his own? Maybe her friends were coming to save them! She couldn't give into the dark sorcerer's demands . . .not yet.

The angel gave her response, "I will not do it. I have faith in Lloyd and my friends."

There was no change in emotion from the man. He coldly reissued his ultimatum, "Fine, then. I guess we shall have to see the strength of your friends."

Colette looked nervously back at the locked pit below them. She would just have to wait for her friends to come. She could trust them.

* * *

"Come on! **PUSH!**"

Zelos groaned, not sure how Sheena thought this was all going to work. No matter how hard the four of them shoved against it, the large wooden door would not fall. Genis's fire spells did nothing to destroy it, to his chagrin. It wasn't enough that this place was built diamond-tough. Everything had to be resistant to spells! Sheena couldn't even power up enough mana to fry through the door like she had through their cell. She didn't know why Volt even bothered giving her powers if they didn't recharge fast enough.

"Perhaps we . . .can try chopping . . .through the door," Presea muttered, voice lapsing under the strength she was throwing into their work. She was looking for any solution at this point. After searching down through the prisons, they had found nobody else. Well, nobody else that hadn't been dead for a little while. There weren't any guards or even any keys to get out! It was like they had been sealed in and left to die.

Genis grumbled through his teeth, "There's no way that . . .would work at all. If I couldn't get through it . . .there's nobody that could . . .ugh, I need to rest for a second."

Sheena shook her head, "This is crazy!" They all stopped for a moment, trying to figure out a way to open this door. Zelos felt a little faint, sitting down for just a moment. Sheena could be quite the slave driver when she had to be.

Zelos rubbed his aching arms, "Okay. This isn't working. Maybe we've just got to admit defeat."

Sheena snapped around, "What the hell? Zelos, why would you say such a thing?"

"Before you kill me, hear me out," Zelos defended himself, "I'm saying that _we're _not strong enough. But, I'm thinking—and this is just me—what if you tried summoning a spirit?"

The ninja paused for a moment. There was this embarrassment in her head that she didn't think of that before. Slowly, she questioned, "Okay . . .but who? I can't summon Efreet . . .and then what do I have them do?"

Genis jumped, getting at what Zelos was thinking, "Oh, I see! Sheena, maybe we should summon Gnome. We could try digging through the floors."

Everyone glanced down, staring at the dust beneath their feat. _Oh, duh_. It was simply sand and dirt, unfurnished by anything. Just good ol' boring, plain, unprotected sand. It was so blaringly obvious. Sheena could have her blank moments, but she didn't think she wouldn't have noticed this before. It was going to be a long adventure if she couldn't come up with her own solutions to her problems.

"Okay, okay. Let's do that," Sheena drew one of her cards. After a few seconds of chanting, the floor beneath her lit up in a circle of yellow mana. A portal in the space-time continuum opened up, and out of it fell a strange brownish creature. He happily danced around for a couple of seconds, red bow spinning around his head. Genis felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up in annoyance.

Gnome grinned, "_Heya, Sheena! Long time no see. What can I do for you today?_"

Sheena sighed, embarrassed how lighthearted Gnome could be. She directed the spirit's attention to the problem at hand, "Well, we need a tunnel that goes into the next room. We need to go and find the rest of our friends, but this door won't open."

"_Oh, is that it? Okay, then! One hole coming right up!"_ Gnome happily accepted his task. He jumped into the ground with a splash of sand, flicking it in everyone's faces. With his trusty shovel in his hands, he spun around like a madman and drilled a hole down at least seven feet. He swerved to the other side of the door, popping through the floor like a very lost rabbit. From the other side, he called back, "_Okay, Sheena! There's your hole!_" With that, he disappeared once more from their realm.

Zelos shook his hair loose of sand, frustrated with Gnome. Why did he have to be such a spaz, anyway? Presea seemed to ignore the flashy scene for the most part, helping Genis clean out his own hair. When everyone was more or less dirt free, they jumped into the whole and clambered out the other side. That was a moment in time none of them wanted to waste ever again.

"All right. Now, we just need some directions to our buds," Zelos pondered, "Hey, what do you think they would have done with—"

Zelos got his answer before he even finished his question, "Aggh!" All four people turned their heads to the right, glancing at another door. This one was much less secure than their prison door, made of simple wood and reinforced with steel. Sheena was the first to peek through it, gasping in surprise. Yep, there were three of her friends, in mortal peril like always.

Sheena shook her head, "Well, at least this time it's a weaker door. Everyone, let's take it down!"

Just as Presea started to rip into it, Zelos asked, "Did anyone check if it was locked in the first place?"

* * *

Lloyd was starting to feel that he was in over his head. He was never afraid to challenge anything, and he was always eager for a good fight. Sometimes, he fought when maybe he should have retreated. This was one of the very few times he wished he could retreat. The only reason he was still in one piece was because of Raine's magic, and she was beginning to run out of mana. Regal offset Lloyd's attacks nicely, but he wasn't strong enough to continue this for much longer. It was coming down to the wire.

Never the less, Lloyd was pretty gung-ho. Hey, he had defeated armies of angels, gargantuan dragons, man-eating plants, and pretty much everything else his homeland had to throw at him. He kept pretty optimistic about his situation. What could be big and bad enough to take down the hero of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla?

"Anyone got a plan? I could use one," Lloyd panted, holding his swords at perfect angles.

Raine assessed the situation, "Well, I could go to offensive spell casting. I think I have enough mana for one last spell."

Regal wiped some sweat off his head, "And then?"

"I might be understating this, but we will then be disemboweled and eaten alive," she gritted her teeth, staring at the monster with absolute disdain, "But, I have been wrong before. We could go more painfully."

Lloyd couldn't believe his teacher, "Raine, think positive thoughts. Don't back down now!"

It was hard to be carefree when death towered over them, stinking something fowl. It was like a neckless dragon, head bashed in from evolution. Thick muscular arms and legs braced the ground below it, standing upright like a tipsy bulldog. Sharp nails jutted out from its hands and feet. Teeth spiked every which way out of its mouth. Its leathery skin gleamed with what little light trickled down from the room above. If that weren't enough, it had a thick tail that was strong enough to knock down moat gates. No, Raine was definitely right—this thing could come up with plenty of awful ways for the trio to die.

"Okay, let's do this. Raine, go ahead and burn up the rest of your TP. Regal, distract it any way you can without killing yourself. I'm going to try and maim it as much as possible. How does that sound?" Lloyd scrambled for a plan.

Regal encouraged the boy, "It's all we've got. We'll have to make it work."

Raine began casting her final spell as fast as possible. As Lloyd began to look for a tactical place to strike, Regal ran ahead and dove between the monster's front arms. Lloyd smacked himself on the head—that was it! All he'd have to do is stab it underneath its stomach a few times, right? It was a good idea, for someone who flunked every science class he ever took.

A ball of mana darkened the room. Swirling lights gathered around it, then shot out on Raine's command, "_Ray!_" It lanced the monster several times through, slamming into the ground with immense power. Even with that spell, the monster seemed only lightly fazed. With a look of terror in her eyes, she saw that they had no more chances to defeat this thing quickly. It was going to drag out for much longer, most likely resulting in their deaths. There was no escape.

Well, in a way, she was wrong. It went downhill in a matter of seconds. The draconic creature caught onto the two humans attacking its underside and quickly abandoned its position after Raine's attack. Its tail whipped around nearly 270 degrees, smashing both humans into the dungeon's walls. Lloyd could barely stand up, disoriented from the blow. Regal didn't make it that far, the back of his head bloody from the impact. Their nightmares were becoming true.

Raine saw it before her student, "Lloyd, look out!" The swordsman didn't bring his weapons up fast enough, jagged fingers slicing into his clothes. He couldn't react in time to roll out of the way. The monster caught Lloyd as if he were a small mouse. He was starting to fear that maybe his professor was closer to the truth than he was comfortable with. As he struggled to get a good slash at the beast, he started to feel overwhelmed. After all he went through, he wasn't going to die here! Not like this!

"Lloyd? Hold on! _Indignation!_"

Lloyd was notorious for being lucky. As the spell fried up his captor a bit, he got to take a good look at his back-up force. There was Sheena, Zelos, Presea, and Genis, all charging head first into battle. He wriggled free as soon as he could and landed on the floor with inhuman grace. Presea and Sheena were the first to hit the frontlines with him. Genis got up to Raine's area and began to work on pelting more spells towards the smashed-faced dragon. Zelos was quick to being firing off spells, but he took up Raine's area of expertise as she went up to recharge her mana levels.

He flicked his wrists in a few directions, then quipped, "Lloyd, you've got to learn to take better care of your friends. _First Aid!_" Whatever he had in that spell was enough to get Regal back up, finally getting the team at least back up to speed.

Lloyd ignored Zelos's comment for the most part, "Okay, everybody! Let's make this one quick blow and get rid of it!" The call for total offense was risky, but Lloyd was willing to bet it would work. Despite its strength, the monster had been whittled down by their previous fighting attempts. It couldn't take too much more.

Presea was the first to strike, swinging her axe up in a wide arc. Regal jumped in after her, feet making three successful connections to the dragon's jaw. Sheena was quick to follow, cards bursting chunks of flesh away. Raine swung her as hard as she could. She drew some blood on her blow, raking the beast in its lower legs. Zelos finished one of his spells up after her, giant spires of rocks slamming into it from all sides. Lloyd parried against the monster and then drilled expertly all the way up its torso. It was then that Genis finally prepared a nasty spell, "Are you guys ready? _Tidal Wave!_"

As water coursed around the dungeon walls, Sheena was overcome with another sudden surge of energy. Without any warning, she flew into an insane rage. Sparks crackled on all sides of her as every one of her blows smacked with electrical power. Her friends backed away from her, trying to not get fried. Her body glowed with a majestic purple aura as she continued her flurry. Even her eyes gave way to the strange mana within her. Something unearthly roared from above her, and then the entire dungeon went alight with her electrical power. It crashed directly into their foe, frying the enemy throughout with one single blow.

There was a fear in Sheena's eyes, then she signaled for everyone to back up. They ran as the monster finally gave way. With a heavy thud, it toppled to the ground. Zelos barely managed not to get squashed, crossing his chest with relief. Lloyd was a bit disappointed, almost feeling sad that battle had ended so quickly. Then, all of his friends turned and looked at Sheena.

Everyone was in quiet awe. They didn't know quite what to think of such strange powers. It didn't even come with a warning. It was just **WHAM—CRASH—BOOM!** There was no way she knew how to control it. She glanced to the ground, nervous with all the eyes staring at her.

Raine shrieked in total bliss, "Where did you learn to do **that**? That was marvelous! **MARVELOUS!**" She smiled, eyes shut with joy, "Was that one of your powers that Volt gave you?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sheena didn't know quite what to say, "When I was outside of battle, I was able to control them. I just don't know how that happened . . ."

Regal tried to offer her a solution, "Perhaps it was like your summoning powers? You may have reached some sort of level of power inside yourself. This is . . .perplexing."

Lloyd added, "Yeah, plus it's really confusing." Genis rolled his eyes at Lloyd, not bothering to give him a lecture in synonyms. There was only so much information that Lloyd could cram into his head at once.

"We will have to keep an eye on the situation, Sheena," Presea analyzed, "Do not worry. We should be able to figure out what would trip this off in battle."

Sheena shrugged, still bashful, "I didn't mean to lose it like that. I mean, I could have really hurt you guys."

"But you didn't, right? That's the important thing," Zelos grabbed the summoner by her shoulders and beamed, "Now, my hunnies, let's debate this later. We still have to find my cute little Colette. I don't want to have her get hurt, you know."

There was a part of Sheena that thought Zelos was a very kind and loving person. Then, there was a part of her that detested him with every fiber of her being. The second part reached out and clocked him on the head.

He grumbled, "Fine, then. We'll just have to have fun later."

That took him from one o'clock to two o'clock. He wasn't looking foreword to three o'clock.

It was too quiet down there in the pit. Colette and the strange man had seen some kind of flash go off, but neither was certain what happened. The dungeon was too murky to see into, light barely trickling over a stilled form. It looked like the monster was dead, but . . .she just didn't know. Where were her friends?

"Still so confident about your companions?" the man taunted, "Don't worry. Death is but such a fleeting thing. The only thing you could hope for is that it wasn't drug out for longer."

Colette turned around and snapped at the man, "You're wrong! They're alive; I know it! The only thing left down there is your dead monster!"

He cackled, flames sparking from the back of his head, "Perhaps. But what's to stop them from dying on the way to find you?"

Colette paused. She wasn't sure what their health was like, or whether or not they could make it up here. Lloyd was determined enough to save her from anything, though. He wouldn't give up until he came up and ran his blade through . . .him.

"Um, this is going to sound strange, but what is your name?" Colette asked.

The fiery being had a good laugh about that. He doubled over, both arms clapping in amusement. Colette didn't think he moved right, if that made any sense. He seemed to be a little limber for someone so big. She growled a little, getting annoyed with his constant laughing. She enjoyed humor as much as anyone, but not at the expense of her friends' lives.

She restated her question, "I'm serious! What's your name?"

The man finally stopped laughing. Drawing himself up to his full height, he towered over the Chosen. He glared at her, the fires in his eyes growing hotter, "I don't see the need to tell you. You will just listen to what I have to say and do it. Now, little girl, let's get to the point: are you going to do it or not?"

Colette wasn't quite sure what this 'it' was he kept referring to. It meant a lot of different things. Whenever Zelos used 'it', Sheena usually told Zelos to stop making dirty jokes. To everyone else, they used 'it' in a different matter. Colette didn't think that this creature's 'it' was anything like Zelos's 'it', but she wasn't sure it was going to pleasant. She kept silent, watching the man burn in rage.

"You know, she did ask you nicely. You really _should_ give her your name."

Colette's eyes brightened. Her hero had come for her, "Lloyd!" Her seven friends had snuck in while the two were arguing. They were all there, alive and for the most part healthy. She sniffled, crying through joy, "I knew you'd all come for me!"

Zelos was the first to talk, always the mouthpiece, "You doubt me, hunny? Of course your white knight would come for you! Nothing can keep me back!"

Presea shook her head in embarrassment, "Zelos, let's just proceed with combat." The Chosen looked shot down, but didn't say anything. Presea was very organized when it came to battle. That's probably why she was so good at it.

The gigantic man behind Colette was once again laughing, "So, these are your friends. I have to say, I'm impressed that they got all the way up here." Without a moment of hesitation, he grabbed Colette by her wrists and drug her towards him, "Well, girl, let's get straight to the point, shall we?" She struggled, unable to break free from his grasp.

Lloyd growled, "Colette! If you do anything to Colette, I swear that I'll—"

"Listen up, you curs," The man's voice boomed with an unearthly crackle, "You've gotten in my way long enough. If you're looking for a fight, then you've got it, kiddies. I'll slaughter you all and then Colette here will finally do what I ask of her."

Sheena readied her cards, but was still curious, "And that is?"

The giant cackled, "She will give in as my sacrifice to Efreet."

"Efreet?" Raine questioned, "The summon spirit? But he wanted us to—"

"Enough talk," the creature's body started glowing with red power, "I am Fuego, cleric of the god Efreet, and I shall destroy you in the name of my god!"

This was beginning to look a little contorted.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Dun dun dun dun! Man, these chapters are getting larger to write than I thought. I might be in over my head here . . .

Anyway, next time! We'll have some fighting, figure out where Verius went, maybe some other things . . .depends how I'm feeling. I'm kind of getting ideas for another fanfic as I'm going here. I hate writing two stories at once, but I just might have to. Muhwa ha ha!

(One, two, three-o'clock! Four o'clock rock!)


	4. Sooty Remains

**Chapter Four: Sooty Remains**

The fire giant Fuego gave the group no time to react. With a flick of his four wrists, the mana in the air charged with heat. The humidity in the central chamber spiked, clinging to everyone's hair and face. Even the floors began to slush a little under its power. Raine shook her head, "How can this be?"

"This castle conforms itself to my will. Personally, I like things hot," Fuego cackled, one arm still wrapped around Colette. She tried to squirm loose, but he was too powerful.

Sheena growled, "Damn it, Verius, where are you?" Why did he run off, anyway? Where did that fox have to disappear? There wasn't anything she could do about it for now, so she'd have to do this one sans the kitsune. She quickly ordered, "Okay, everyone? All-out! We're not going to waste time with this guy."

Even with keeping Colette hostage, the burly man could easily keep all of the heroes distracted. Sheena wasn't much more than a gnat to him, cards bouncing off his weathered skin without as much as a paper cut. Zelos managed to sneak in one slash, but he was smashed backwards with a punch to his stomach. Another hand grabbed Regal by the scruff of his collar and threw him aside, almost as if he was weightless. Genis and Raine kept casting in the background while Presea and Lloyd held up the offensive line. Presea barely nicked Fuego before having to back out, but Lloyd finished off an entire combo. If nothing else, Lloyd was good for offense.

"This is insulting," Fuego grumbled, "I thought you were supposed to be a challenge." The room's temperature began to spike again, the air wavering. Fuego's form began to multiple, illusions created by the desert heat. Both Lloyd and Presea backed off and waited to make their next strike.

Genis's spell power was as true as always, "_Icicle!_" The frozen shards stung Fuego, dissolving the illusion for a second. It didn't help for very long. The climate of the room was beyond oppressive, and it was starting to get worse.

Getting back up, Regal saw the floor was beginning to melt again. It stuck around his shoes, sand peeling away with every step. The room must have been conditioned to have this effect. He felt like he was slipping down an hourglass. The ex-convict cautioned Sheena, "We have to hurry. If you fall, don't stay down for too long."

The situation was getting much worse. If the strange effects of the room weren't enough, Fuego had an extra trick up his sleeve. While he kept one hand back as a hostage and the other two open to deflect attacks, his fourth hand bobbed and weaved up and down. Raine was the first to pick up on the patterns, drawing the group's attention to it, "Be careful. He's casting something." Zelos and Lloyd defiantly charged against Fuego anyway, hoping to disrupt the spell. They weren't strong enough to do so in time.

"_Ruler of Hellfire, grant me your powers. I ask only of your blessing. My god, Efreet!"_ Fuego chanted, releasing a burst of red mana from his hand. Sheena stuttered in surprise, "No way! That can't be! I'm . . .I have a pact with . . ."

Efreet blasted into the melting arena, his eyes merciless against his pact maker. Sheena couldn't believe the blankness in his conscience. This was not the Efreet that she knew. Her summon was uncaring, true, but he had asked them to destroy this cleric. Why was he rushing to the man's commands, then? Why wouldn't he listen to her? The feeling of distress overwhelmed Sheena.

"_Sheena, I am not under your command here. Do not resent me for what I have been summoned to do,_" was the only explanation the spirit gave her. He began channeling more heat into the room, the temperature soaring. Colette thought she was going to pass out, still trying to squirm free from Fuego's grasp. His strength only multiplied as she struggled.

Fuego cackled, "There we go. Hmm, but you know this girl?" He shook his head, "It doesn't matter. Efreet has shown favor in me, and I shall triumph through his assistance." Fire bristled along the lengths of his arms, exploding in sudden power. Colette screamed in fright, Lloyd trying to fight off the fear in his stomach. He had to help Sheena see this one through.

The ninja almost felt woozy with the betrayal, but she didn't let it show. With one hand, she commanded, "Everyone, get back in there and fight! We're going to do this, even if we're one summon spirit short." She was actually quite the tactician when she needed to be, "Genis, get busy with some ice or water spells! Raine, Zelos, keep on top of the healing situation. I want Presea, Lloyd, and Regal up front and fighting. Do you guys understand?"

Zelos whined, "What? Why am I doing mage work?"

She snapped back, "It doesn't matter! We need to fight elements with elements, and right now I need some water and ice power! Find a way for me to get that, or we're all going to be in a lot of pain!" That seemed to deter the Chosen of Tethe'alla from fighting some more. He groaned, but took it rather well.

The ground sucked against Lloyd's feet as he made the first attack. He was able to make a split hit with his sword, "_Tiger Blade!_" Presea came in after him, sand spitting everywhere as she lifted her axe from the ground. She spun gracefully around once, stopping in time to deflect two smashing attacks from Fuego's fists. Regal took that time to jump in, his kicks steaming from connecting with the man's body. Fuego growled angrily, smashing all three away. Those last attacks had been . . .bothersome . . .

"Oh, I get it!" Lloyd finally figured out Sheena's plan, "Our gemstones affect our attacks. We're fighting with elements, right? Good move, Sheena!"

Raine seemed distressed that Lloyd had just caught on to that, but ignored it, "Keep focused Lloyd. _Sharpness!_" The edges of Lloyd's blades gleamed with a new keenness, and the swordsman was willing to go test them out.

Genis, however, beat Lloyd to the punch, "Ready, guys? _Spread!_" A gigantic column of water shot out of the ground, bursting under Fuego's feet. It threw the large man to the ground in a showy splash. Colette saw that as her only opportunity to escape, smashing both fists into Fuego's grasp. She hit a pressure point in his wrists and wriggled loose before he could catch her again. Lloyd was quick to protect her, waiting as the Chosen of Sylvarant re-equipped her chakrams.

Unfortunately, Genis's attack had another shocking impact to the battle. The sand floors crumpled under the final stress to the ground. Everyone plummeted to the next floor as the sand gave way, landing awkwardly at the bottom. The room looked like the one Lloyd had almost died in previously. It seemed to dampen Fuego's fiery glow, but only for a few seconds. It seemed like very little could slow this guy down.

The arena exploded in fire, "_Maximum Burst!_" Fuego was beyond furious, glowing almost white with fire mana. Everyone took heavy damage, the lighter of the group easily tossed aside. Sheena recovered first, flying in with her seals and without fear. She had been raised with a _kamikaze _attitude – she would go out fighting , if necessary. That's what Mizuho would have her do, dying and living honorably.

Zelos abandoned his position, "Sheena, what are you doing? Watch out!" He tried to deflect one of Fuego's barrages, but it didn't go so well. Three fists pummeled into Zelos's shield, smashing it backwards into his own face. He had his lights knocked out. Sheena panicked as she saw him go flying into the ground, unmoving from the impact, "Raine! Help!"

"I'm on it, Sheena! Keep focused!" Raine rebuked, quickly rushing over to Zelos. Presea went to guard her, ordering Regal to continue protecting Sheena. Genis continued casting behind them, Colette trying to use one of her own angel techniques. Lloyd was up front with Sheena, as always. There was something strikingly beautiful about the way Sheena could team up with him.

However, her line of defense wasn't much help. Fuego caught Lloyd by his own sword, ignoring the pain as he lifted the boy off the ground and threw him at Genis. Both managed to miss each other, but barely. Then, the cleric turned around and faced Regal down again. There was a minor charge of mana in his hand, and then an explosive force, "_Beast!_" It blew Regal aside, rolling awkwardly with the impact with the floor. He struggled to get back up, but he couldn't make it back in time to protect Sheena. Neither could Lloyd, nor anyone else. The next three seconds were up to her.

The sudden tick of rage combined with fear set off the dark tremors within her once again. Her eyes glowed angrily, lightning dancing around her irises. Volt's power had spiked within her once more. With a fierce screech, she began pelting Fuego again, sparks flying with every stroke of her hand. The surges of electricity got brighter and louder, engulfing the entire room in their power. Finally, with one final bang, she spun around and smashed an entire thundercloud's worth of amps in Fuego's face. **ZZZZ-RACK!**

Sheena folded her seals into her belt as the cleric began to examine his wounds. Almost naively, she asked, "Oh, wait? You're not done yet? Here, let me finish you off." She flipped out one set of seals and let them rip, "_Pyre Seal!_" The final pop of mana was enough to send Fuego flying backwards into the ground. His skin began to dull, and then the air began to stop wavering and started cooling. Steam lofted up from the man's body, disappearing in the dry desert air. Clearly, Sheena kicked ass.

There was a millisecond of silence, and then Lloyd cheered, "Yahoo! Sheena, whoa! You did it—again! How do you do that, anyway?"

"I . . .I just don't know. I just got mad enough, and it happened," she shrugged, smiling, "But, it's pretty useful, isn't it?"

Presea advised the ninja, "Just be careful how you use it. You may not always have the strength needed to perform the move."

Sheena was beginning to see Presea's point, "You know, now that you mention it . . .I do feel a little woozy . . ."

**Crash!**

The girl frowned, "I told you so."

* * *

The air felt much cooler when she re-awoke. She had a strange sense of vertigo, watching aimlessly as the ground below her moved. It was soft, brown, and spotted with green flecks of life. There was a crackle of lightning, and then rain started softly falling. She felt safe, almost wanting to go back to sleep.

Someone else already noticed she was awake, though, "_Good. She's up_."

Sheena shot awake with a lively anger, "Verius!" She struggled to get upright, finally connecting the sense of vertigo with being carried. (If nothing else, Regal did make a useful pack-mule.) Staring at the kitsune, she snapped, "What the hell? Where did you go?"

"_I was summoned out. I had no choice but to go_," Verius explained. His tails flicked back and forth calmly, "_I would not have left you, but my servitude rules me. I hope you understand._"

She continued arguing with the kitsune as the party kept walking, "And what was up with Efreet? Can I summon him again?"

Verius nodded, "_Of course. You were only limited by the realm you traveled into. Remember, in your home world, you have forged your pacts with the summon spirits. It does not mean that they will always come to you out here._"

"Out here. . .where is out here?" Sheena began to feel homesick, "How's Mizuho? Is Grandpa okay?" She couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt. He was the closest thing she had to family.

"_It is not well. I cannot tell you more than that, for now,_" Verius spoke very little, "_However, you should not worry about home. Your current concern should be recovering before your next trial begins._"

Somebody else finally joined their conversation, "Yeah, Sheena. He's got a point." She turned her head to see Lloyd grinning at her. He was always thoughtful like that, to a point where it was almost silly. Lloyd kept smiling as he talked to her, "You could really get hurt if you keep collapsing. I know you're trying to save Mizuho, but remember you have people that'll work with you."

"Right. No solo missions," Sheena grinned. Lloyd's simplicity sometimes made him very profound. She decided to start walking again, jumping out of Regal's grasp and onto the floor in classic ninja style. As she rejoined the group, she asked, "Hey, where's Zelos? Is that idiot okay?"

Genis rolled his eyes, "That moron will be fine in a little bit. Look." He pointed over to Colette, who was happily hauling Zelos around. She had super-strength when it came to carrying things, so she sometimes took up heavier jobs within the group. Zelos's head was bobbing with her motions, so he was still unconscious. If he was up, he would have been 'admiring the view', to say the least.

Raine started walking next to Verius, her staff a comfortable walking stick, "I suppose we'll be tested very soon again."

"_Unfortunately, yes,_" Verius murmured, "_I cannot disclose any more details than that. You will have some time to rest first_." He stopped in the bamboo forest, softly gazing up, "_This place will do for now. Perhaps you should set up camp this time._"

Lloyd glanced slightly angrily out of the corner of his eyes, but quickly forgave the fox. It was hard for him to deal with cold people. He used to bash heads with Kratos a lot, and Raine often kept him in line. Presea and Regal had a tendency to be over analytical, but they weren't obnoxious about it. Genis could push his luck some days, though. Lloyd was just a little trigger-happy, that was all.

Verius continued instructing them, "_You will have the night to rest. I secured some food and water for you—they are in the pack on Presea's back. Just rest for now._" He had another sense of urgency in his eyes, "_I have to leave again. My master calls._"

"Again?" Sheena grumbled. She crossed her arms and sighed, "I guess we don't have a choice about this."

The fox was still cold with Sheena, "_Just concern yourself with resting. Your trials will come soon enough_." With that, he disappeared in a flash of blue smoke. Lloyd frowned at the entire situation, but then patted Sheena on the shoulder. It was hard to imagine something like that happening to his pet. He sighed, suddenly missing Noishe. He hoped the Arshis would be okay.

"I suppose we have no choice, for now," Regal finally broke the silence, "Let's rest. We have to wait for Zelos to recover, as it is."

Sheena grumbled, "He'll be fine. He's like a cockroach."

Well, that might have been true, but that wasn't the words Zelos wanted to hear after waking up.

* * *

The land had remained dark for an entire day. The future did not look promising. Husks of dead plants swept the city, rice patties ripped up from the ground. Buildings were collapsing in on themselves. Any citizen that was left alive strolled the streets with a dead glaze in their eyes. There was only the sound of the ocean crashing off in the distance and the crackling of candles burning. Evil was growing through Mizuho and beyond like a foul mold. How far would it reach before the entire world was consumed?

Igaguri did not have an answer for that question. He was considered wise beyond his years, even in old age. His wisdom and clarity of mind rivaled elven elders. But, even with his keen perception, he did not know what was happening. He had much more to worry about than the state of the land. For all he knew, his granddaughter was lost and dead, her friends' corpses strewn alongside hers. He could only pray for her safety and hope to see her again.

The maniac that had overtaken them—what was his name?—ordered that Igaguri be kept captive inside the main house of Mizuho. He was confined to one room, pacing back and forth. He knew he could escape if he tried, but he did not know about Sheena's status. If by running he caused her death, then that would cause his own end. He had to wait to see her again.

"_Is it worth it, waiting here for her? Kept penned up like a prisoner in your own house?"_ that man had come back to taunt him, "_You could fix this, you realize. All you would have to do is disclose to me the location of the_—"

"No," Igaguri responded coldly, "Like the mountains, I shall not move. Not until you tell show me my granddaughter's health."

The dark sorcerer taunted Igaguri, "_I could show you. She's adrift in space-time, but she is well. It's rather a sore subject with me._" There was a blue flash in his palm, and a swirled image of her appeared in his hand, "_She is quite strong, for someone her age. Perhaps I will enjoy fighting her, if she can cross back into this land. I highly doubt she will, even with her strength._"

"Then you will not have what you seek," Igaguri cut him off, sitting on the ground, "Now, if you would excuse me, I must meditate."

That hit a nerve in the evil being's system. Without warning, he bucked the old man in the ribs. Igaguri sensed some of the attack, but it was still powerful enough to send him sprawling. Something felt cracked in his side. He felt a blotch of blood on his robe, fire shooting through his chest. At least one of his ribs was broken.

"_I would advise you to watch your mouth, old man. I do not have time to argue with you,_" the man growled. There was a morbidly red glow in his eyes that Igaguri could not explain. He didn't back down from the man's glare, though. Both probably would have been locked forever in a staring contest if there hadn't been an interruption.

A large golden fox unfurled out of nowhere. Igaguri had seen it only once before, but he had no idea what it was. Sheena had mentioned something before about Corrine being reincarnated, but he wasn't sure this was it. Besides, wouldn't he help Sheena? This thing seemed to only serve its master. It seemed heartless.

"_I am back. What do you require of me?"_ the fox demon asked.

The sorcerer was short with his pet, "_Watch the old man. He's getting too feisty for his own good. I don't need him dead . . .yet._" With a flush of black and red robes, he shoved the door shut behind him. He was sick of dealing with Igaguri—he'd torture the human later.

Igaguri sighed, reexamining his wound. Yes, it certainly hurt, but that wasn't what bothered him. His injuries would heal. The pain in his heart might not. The thought of the way Sheena had been blown away. . .knowing she was still alive, but perhaps never to return . . .that stung worse then all of his bones breaking at once. Sheena was all he had to life for.

"_Do not be so sober,_" the kitsune spoke, "_Sheena is fine. There is no reason to be worried._"

Igaguri nodded, "I hope for our sake you are right."

Verius didn't know what the old man meant by that. He didn't know of the fox's nature, or what he used to be. He had never interacted with him before. Yet, there seemed to be some gentle wisdom in the human. Perhaps he was worthy of being the village leader. Noble humans were few and far between.

The kitsune said little more, "_It is useless to continue predicting the future. Just take my word for it._"

The human didn't debate it further. Verius wasn't sure whether he liked that sign or not.

* * *

_It wasn't real. Well, duh—if anyone could tell real from fake, it was Sheena. She was pretty good at being a ninja, after all. She was sure this was a dream. Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream, just a dream . . ._

**_SCREECH!_**

_Okay. That was it. Picking through the misty darkness of her nightmare, her hand brushed by silk webbing. It was everywhere, clinging to anything it touched. In the distance she thought she could see Lloyd and Colette moving through it. They weren't hindered by it like her, though. And Colette . . .she was glowing . . .Why?_

_"We've got to keep moving. He's got to be around here somewhere."_

_Raine? Sheena turned to the left, watching as Raine and Presea walked up a staircase going to and from nowhere. Raine had a candle, light bouncing off invisible brick walls. Who were they looking for? . . .Genis? She didn't know how she came to that answer, but it made sense in a strange way._

_"We're in grave danger. Don't be caught una—"_

_It was Regal's voice, but where was he? Sheena glanced around, but she couldn't find him in the snarled webs. There were more noises, slashes in the far distance. Someone was knocked to the side, air leaving them too rapidly to be normal. Where was this fight? She searched for her cards, but they weren't there. She panicked; there was nothing she hated more than being weaponless._

_"Hold on! Hold on! I've almost got it!"_

_There was a burst of fire far off in the horizon. Zelos? She could see the shadows of monsters scattering in fear, but even more still coming. There was no way Zelos could fight them all off by himself. Wait—was this the same fight from before? Where was everyone? Why wasn't anyone helping him? _

_Sheena moved towards his direction, but felt something creep past her shoulder. She paused, noticing how the feeling didn't move from her back. Carefully, she turned around to see what it was . . .and screamed! It looked dead, face blue from suffocation, eyes blankly staring out into nothing. She stumbled as she ran backwards from it, heart racing. No! This couldn't be what she was seeing! It couldn't be . . ._

_. . .Genis?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

That's probably the first time that I started a chapter on a fight and ended it . . .well, surreally? Just seems out of order to me.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed that! I don't know why a guy with fire would be terra-forming—kinda seems like more of an earth thing, you know? I'm all about the collateral damage, though.

Hope you had a good Valentine's day. (Zelos says he's everyone valentine, 24/7.) I should get back to y'alls shortly.


	5. Earth Bound

**Chapter Five: Earth Bound**

It was still safe and peaceful in the foreign nexus. There was still a light rain, but no more thunder. The sky seemed very different today—it was soft and dark purple, just rolls of clouds floating by. The peace of the atmosphere was everywhere but in her heart. It had always been difficult for Sheena to shake off her nightmares. How could anyone deny the feelings of dread and despair that their own mind created? No, that nightmare meant something. Just what it was, though, she'd have to determine later.

She decided to wake up. There was little point to going back to sleep if she was just going to keep having nightmares. It would be a good time to think now, anyway. Everyone else was still asleep. It must have been extremely early in the morning; usually, Regal was up some time after four, and the half-elves wouldn't have slept in much past five-thirty. Lloyd was not so much a reliable alarm clock. If he could sleep until noon every day, he would.

"_Are you up, Sheena?_"

Her skin crawled for a second, but she realized it was just Verius. It was surprising how creepy that fox could be. He was sitting a few feet away from her, tails flicking back and forth. He invited her to come after him, "_Let's talk a walk, then. I'm sure you still have many questions._"

Well, it wasn't like she had anything better to do. Sheena followed the kitsune a few meters into the forest before really striking up a conversation with him. She liked having her privacy, and she didn't want to wake up her friends. The better rested they were, the better they'd fight.

"_I feel some uncertainty from you. Are you all right?"_ Verius asked. It sounded strange coming from him. Usually, he was so cold when he talked with her, even if he did use to be her pet.

Sheena nodded, mostly out of habit, "I'm fine. It's just a bad dream I had."

Verius seemed concerned, "_You should not write off your feelings so lightly. They could be indicators of your future. Even if it doesn't mean anything literally, it doesn't mean you should ignore it._"

"You're starting to sound like my grandfather," Sheena smiled. Verius didn't respond with any sort of remark. There was something she said that he didn't want to talk about. She didn't like the looks of this, "Is there something I need to know about?"

"_No,_" the kitsune responded abnormally fast, "_Do not worry yourself. All will be resolved once you have the power to break back into Mizuho._"

Sheena was ready to interrogate him further, but she heard something coming from behind her. Ninja training taught her to be aware of all strange sounds around her. These sounded like footprints, too heavy to be any of the girls and yet not monstrously noisy either. In fact, they sounded a little like—

"Zelos, this isn't time to play games with me," Sheena grumbled.

Her pursuer sighed, "Rats. I thought I had you this time." She rolled her eyes, wondering to herself how anyone could be so childish. Never the less, she was kind of happy to see him. If nothing else, Zelos could get rid of uncomfortable silence.

"Well, what do you want?" Sheena drilled, hands on her hips as she walked back to camp with him.

"I could use a lot of things right now. A bubble bath sounds nice, maybe a night on the town, little bit of wine . . .I'm getting off topic, aren't I?" Zelos joked, just happy the summoner wasn't beating him to the ground, "I wasn't exactly in the mood to wake up, but it turns out that Gnome wasn't going to adjust to human schedules."

Sheena growled, "Gnome's here? Ugh, he's so annoying."

Zelos rolled his eyes, "You don't have to tell me that. I have had first-hand experience with the twerp."

"Okay, okay. I'll go deal with him," Sheena muttered. She turned around to address Verius, "I'm sorry, but I've got to go—Verius?" She cursed under her breath. That damn fox was gone again! Now she was beginning to get irked by this whole pact situation he had going on. She felt sad for a moment that she couldn't trust the kitsune more, but there wasn't much she could do otherwise.

Zelos scratched his head, "Huh. He's kind of rude, isn't he?"

"Not more than anybody else," Sheena sighed, marching back to camp, "Let's get this over with."

Their conversation dropped to nothing as they went back. Zelos wanted to find something to say, but he was speechless. To be truthful, he was feeling very guilty and weak. He had ended up knocked out during Sheena's last trial, and that embarrassed him. Some days, it felt like there was nothing he could do to make it up to the ninja. It hurt in a familiar way.

Zelos whispered to himself, "I'm such an idiot."

"What's your problem?" Sheena asked the Chosen. It was unlike him to be broody.

He shook his head, "Ah, it's nothing. I'm just feeling a little down today."

Sheena chuckled, "It's a new day, Zelos. Try to be optimistic." She looked back at him, "You're still alive, right? That's something you can be happy about . . .I guess."

"Sheena, you're a peach!" little hearts started forming in Zelos's eyes. The ninja began regretting what she had said to him. She signaled him to hurry up, and both began to run back to their camp. Running always made Sheena feel better. Just to show off, she jumped onto one of the bamboo stalks and began ricocheting off them.

Zelos shook his head, trailing after the ninja. He watched her shadow jump back and forth across the bamboo, almost a dark blur in the early morning mist. A part of his heart envied her. She might not be smarter than him, but she was so . . .exotic. Maybe that wasn't even the right word for it. Capricious? That seemed to fit.

Everyone was up when they got back to camp, all surrounded around Gnome. Many of them still had sleepy glazes in their eyes. Gnome was energetic enough, bouncing around absent-mindedly and blabbering at the mouth. Lloyd turned his head to see Sheena and smiled, "We're saved! Sheena, get over here and shut him up!"

"**Shut me up? Why? If you would just learn to wake up earlier, this wouldn't be a problem!"** the spirit barked at Lloyd. The human simply looked back at her, smiling as she came sliding down the stalks.

Sheena took charge of the situation, "All right, Gnome. What is it?"

The fuzzy spirit twirled his red bow, "**I'm not talking to you until Lloyd apologizes!**"

Lloyd made amends, "Okay, I'm sorry. Please, just give us our trial. I want to go home."

"**Well, I can help you with that, now that you're not being Mister Grumpy-head**," Gnome bounced around to forgive Lloyd. He snapped back to Sheena, "**Anyway, here's the scoop! I want you to go to this old place I found and clean it out!**"

Genis blinked, "Clean it out? Come on, we're heroes, not servants!" Raine thwapped him on the back of the head, quickly shutting up any more negative interjections her little brother had. Gnome ignored that, waiting for Sheena's response.

She agreed, "Okay, that's fine. What do you mean by clean it out?"

Gnome bobbed around, "**Well, you know. Go inside, kill the pests, pick up some treasure, sanctify it from the spirits of dead people . . .the usual.**"

Zelos's heart nearly stopped, "An exorcism? Y-you're joking, right?"

Presea didn't understand Zelos's fear. She looked at him with some concern, "Are you all right? What is wrong with a few ghosts?"

The Chosen from Tethe'alla shook his head, blushing in embarrassment, "It's nothing. Dead people just freak me out, that's all."

"Death's a natural part of life," Sheena shrugged Zelos's fear off as nothing, "I'll do it. We've got to get home as soon as possible!"

"**I was hoping you'd say that! Hold onto your hats!"** Gnome cheered.

Just as they had agreed to the task, Gnome flung them through another dimensional portal. It felt like they were falling through a gigantic hole in the ground, vines and bugs creeping up alongside them as they went. Suddenly, there was a cloudy sky, and then—**splat! **They were on the ground again. The impact of the hurtling through space and time stunned them for a moment.

Colette was the first to speak, "It looks like Gnome's gone. I think I landed on something, though."

"Please . . .off," Regal groaned. Colette jumped up in surprise, dusting the ex-convict off and pulling him up. She was so embarrassed, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Oh, I did it again . . ."

Presea calmed her down, "It's nothing to be concerned about. You were not accelerating at a rate which would injury him, and clearly your body mass would have not been enough to hurt him either."

"Yeah, he's fine," Genis backed Presea up, "The gravity here feels like it did at home, so you were probably traveling at a velocity of 9.8 meters per second, which would put your acceleration at—"

Lloyd plugged his ears, "No more math, please. My brain'll explode!"

"Okay, okay. Let's focus on the situation at hand," Raine reprimanded everyone. There was a hushed silence as she took control, "Shall we take a look at this place?"

Everyone turned around to see a large stone monastery jutting out of the forest around them. It towered above the heavy trees, vines growing through ancient bricks. Spires and columns sprouted out of the sides of the monastery like slender mushrooms. The royal blue roofs stood out from the billowing purple sky. It looked like it was about to rain. The darkness and height of the monastery spoke volumes, especially in the empty silence.

Zelos was the first one to interrupt the silence. He whistled, "It's huge, isn't it?"

"It'll take forever to go through there," Lloyd sighed. He thought of something else, happily adding, "Hey, do you think there is really good treasure in there, like Gnome said?"

Colette smiled, "Maybe. I bet there's some cool swords in there, Lloyd!" The human beamed at the idea, brushing his brown hair back with one hand. It sounded like Colette was enthusiastic enough for both of them.

The wind began to pick up around the group. It ran through the brick-laced windows, making the whole building sigh. The sound spooked Genis a little bit, but he didn't let it show. To be honest, he didn't like the sound of angry spirits haunting the place. He took satisfaction from the feeling that death stopped people from harming him or his friends. Being undead was unnatural . . .then again, so was being a half-elf. He tried not to think too deeply into it.

"Lloyd is right, Sheena," Presea spoke after listening to the wind for a few moments, "Perhaps we should consider splitting up. It may increase our speed."

Sheena nodded, "Okay. But, we don't want to split up too much, or we'll risk getting hurt. Teams of four sound all right to everyone?" No one disagreed with her, so she continued, "All right. I'll take lead of one of the teams. Who wants to lead the other?"

Raine jumped on that opportunity, "I'll go with the other team. You'll need to depend on someone sane to lead the opposite team." Zelos nervously laughed at Raine's statement, but quickly ran out of her range of attack. She twirled her staff around just to threaten him, then flipped it back up, "Okay. Sheena, you pick your first teammate. I'll go after you."

Sheena considered a few of the people she should take. Strategically, there were a few people she needed to consider taking. She was great at melee, and she could cast spells in a tight situation, but she didn't have large amounts of mana. She'd need a spell caster, at least. Another person to help her battle wouldn't be a bad idea either, but Raine needed more physical support than she did. Still, her first decision was based on the nagging feeling of dread in her mind. There was that dream she had . . .and if she wasn't careful, he could get hurt . . .

Everyone was shocked to hear Sheena say, "Genis." Raine looked amused by her decision, but didn't argue with her. She could trust Sheena with her little brother. With some confusion, Genis went over and stood next to Sheena. It was nice that she liked to have him around, he decided, and thought nothing more of it.

Raine took the next pick, "Colette." It made some sense, at least. She wanted to see if Colette had acquired any strange powers by the awakened Garnet. It was a part of who Raine was—she was very scientific.

Sheena went again, "Regal." Zelos and Lloyd shot him a dirty look, but Regal didn't respond back. In fact, he seemed quite embarrassed. There was always an underlying competition between Zelos and Lloyd to show each other up in front of Sheena, especially in fights. They had the same competitive spirit around Colette too, but it was somehow nicer around her. Sheena rolled her eyes, "What, you two got a problem back there?"

"They're just being boys," Raine snickered. Lightening up, she called Lloyd over, "I'm sure you want to spend some time with Colette."

Lloyd blushed, "Ye-yes, Professor." Lloyd liked all of his friends, but there was something about Colette. Maybe it was just an attachment he had to her after losing her so many times. Sheena was glad that her relationship with Lloyd wasn't like that. She preferred to be strong on her own—Lloyd was nice company, that's all.

Before Sheena could make the final selection, Presea interrupted, "Could I make a suggestion?"

Sheena shrugged, "Sure. What's up?"

"Although you may not like it, I would advise taking Zelos with you," Presea reasoned, "Raine's team will be fine because she has healing mana, but you only have Regal with you, and his healing abilities are limited. Perhaps you should take Zelos, just in case of emergencies."

Genis looked heart-broken, "But, Presea! I-I-I'd like to—"

"I know, Genis," Presea smiled, "I need to help your sister, though. Lloyd is all they have for their frontlines." She reassured him, "I'm certain there are other times we can work together."

The half-elf sighed, "Oh, okay. I suppose if we're going to be logical . . ." He glanced at Zelos with a little bit of frustration, "You know he's not going to shut up, though. I might have him toasted before you see him again."

Zelos moped, "Why does everybody hate me today?" No one responded to that question.

Sheena and Raine agreed to Presea's suggestion. Genis looked very sad as Presea joined his sister's group. Why did Sheena pick him, anyway? He didn't fit her style of fighting, and usually Raine was with him. There must have been some idea she had for doing that, but he couldn't figure it out. Sometimes, women did things illogically.

"Well, that's settled," Sheena cut the awkwardness short, "Let's get moving! We don't have any time to waste."

Little did she know how true her words were.

* * *

The old man was still being a royal pain. If it were any other old man, he would have simply ended his life. Unfortunately, he needed this old man alive. Only he knew the location of the sacred weapon that he had spent eons trying to find. If he killed the geezer, his efforts here would have been wasted. He could not hurt himself out of spite and hatred.

. . . if only he would tell him where the Sword of—

"_Master? You have summoned me?"_ that damn kitsune had come back. He thought forcing the creature into a pact would have done him more good, but at least it had been useful. After all, it was only through Verius's mana that he had been able to banish the ninja's granddaughter and the rest of her pesky friends. There was a chance that they could overpower him. He didn't want to risk that, certainly not now. This was just a stepping-stone towards his ultimate goal.

The dark mage scoffed, "_Ah, Verius. Took your time, as usual_."

Verius seemed to ignore his iciness, "_It cannot be helped. I am usually not on this plane when you want me._"

"_Yes. I understand you have an attachment with the girl I had you banish,_" his master growled, "_While you may be her former companion, you are my servant. Are we clear on this?_"

Verius hesitated to speak for a moment. Bowing his gold head, he murmured, "_. . .I suppose so. I do not have a choice._"

"_Good. Now that the matter of your servitude is settled, we need to discuss Igaguri,_" the dark sorcerer redirected their topic. He pointed one lithe hand at the room where he was keeping the aged ninjutsu master, "_He is still being stubborn. See if there is a way to get him talking._"

"_There will be no way. He is loyal to his granddaughter. He has . . .free will_," Verius interjected. There was a tone of sadness in the fox's voice. The mage didn't like that at all. His hand curled to strike the kitsune, but he decided not to act on it. It would not be good to abuse his summon spirit. He would need its power, at least until his mission was accomplished.

Finally, the man grumbled, "_Fine. Go and talk with him. Perhaps his tongue will betray his beloved granddaughter for us. Human lips are good for revealing motive . . ._"

Verius had no choice but to obey, "_Very well . . .Oroku Toshi._"

* * *

There were many things Colette was useful for. To begin with, she was always a happy person and could cheer anyone up. She doubled as a unique melee fighter and spell caster, operating on whatever the situation required her to do. She was very kind and strong, and she wouldn't give up on anything she thought was important—even to a fault. Sure, sometimes she had the tendencies to be bubbly and too concrete in thought, but she was inspirational at the same time.

Plus, she doubled as a great torch in dark places.

Lloyd's party was having very little difficulty scouring the right side of the monastery. They hadn't seen anything too terrifying yet. There were a couple of bats and some creepy-crawlies on the walls, but there weren't any enemies. This was sending all sorts of flares off in Lloyd's head, but no one else seemed to be concerned. Maybe he was just being superstitious, but he didn't like it when something was out of place . . .where were the monsters?

"Colette, have you noticed your wings?" Raine exclaimed, "They are exuding more light than before!"

Colette looked back at her wings. Besides their natural pink-and-purple glow, now they had a jagged look to them. It was like her feathers were now uncontrollable mana flames, compared to the neat little ovals they used to be. She smiled, "You're right, Professor! This is pretty neat!"

Now Raine was wound up, "I wonder what it will look like the next time we awaken a stone."

"Do you think Genis will start growing daisies out of his head or something?" Lloyd laughed. Nobody took him up on his joke. He sighed, "Okay, sorry. I thought it was funny."

Presea kept the conversation going, even after Lloyd's awkward interjection, "I do not understand why Sheena is not showing signs like Colette is. Perhaps there is something we haven't noticed before?"

Raine smiled, "I'll have to study that later. It'll be fabulous!"

There were a few more moments of silence. Lloyd watched a few rats scurry back and forth across the floor. Where were the monsters? He crossed his arms, not happy about this. If there weren't any monsters around, then maybe Gnome was just being weird and sent them out here for nothing. But, if there were monsters . . .

"Raine? Do you think we might be . . .being stalking?" Lloyd questioned, "I mean, we haven't seen a single monster yet."

The half-elf thought about it, "You may be right, Lloyd. We'll have to keep our eyes peeled."

The group kept traveling in the darkness, their conversation dropping to nothing again. Sometimes, it was hard to keep talking. Presea naturally didn't say too much, and the Professor got so wrapped up in thinking that it was hard to get a word out of her. Colette could talk, but she was on hunting mode now. Whenever someone's security was involved, Colette was always on guard. Sadly enough, Lloyd was starting to miss Zelos or Genis. At least they'd talk, even if it was just arguing.

Colette stopped floating. Everyone halted next to her, wondering what she was thinking. With a moment of concentration, she replied, "I hear . . .something heavy."

Lloyd looked back and forth across the dark hallways. Outside of Colette's glow, he couldn't see anything. Finally, he sighed, "Where is it coming from?"

**CRASH!**

A large object bounced into view. It looked like a gargantuan human hand. The flesh on it had rotted into a bluish hue, and there were mosses and seed-like fungus growing out of its knuckles. Its fingernails were long but chipped. The sight would have disgusted Lloyd, but there was no time to be sick. It scurried towards the group, accelerating as soon as it caught sight of its next prey.

"Nevermind! Aggh!" Lloyd yelped as the monster attacked.

* * *

Zelos Wilder _hated_ spiders. It wasn't arachnophobia or anything like that. He just _hated_ spiders. Spiders were sick and wrong, in his opinion. Nothing was supposed to have more than six legs and make that much of a mess with its home. Nothing should ever trap a creature in stuff that came out of its own butt and eat it while it was still squirming. It was just _wrong. _That's why Zelos Wilder _hated_ spiders.

So, when they had entered the basement, Zelos instantly had to utter, "Ugh, gross. Spiders."

There were spider webs everywhere. At first, they were small little cobwebs, confined to their own little hole in the ceiling. Now, they were starting to get bigger. They drooped as low as curtains, low enough to tangle in Regal's hair. Zelos didn't want them reaching him. He didn't want to think about where spider webs came from. He also didn't want to think about where honey, milk, or silk came from, but he at least had a use for those things. Spider webs were just _disgusting._

"Would you just relax, Zelos?" Sheena shook her head. She muttered to herself, "Why did I have to listen to Presea?"

Genis laughed, "Because you trust her, that's why. Stop asking stupid questions."

It was hard to travel much further in the dark. They only had the mana from Genis's kendama occasionally lighting the place up. They needed a torch, or at least something flammable. That was easily solved, though. Sheena turned to Zelos and ordered, "You have angel wings like Colette, right? Start flapping."

Zelos shuddered, "But I hate using my wings. They remind me of my . . .of my you-know-what that I had to do."

Regal sighed, brushing more spider webs out of his hair. He defended Sheena's idea, "Zelos, we cannot dwell on the past right now. We need you to use your gifts, regardless of your past. Besides, it would be better than staying in the dark with these arachnids."

"Say no more, say no more," Zelos flicked his wrist back and forth. With a quick moment of thought, bright orange wings shot out of Zelos's back. Although he didn't like using his true Chosen powers all that much, he wasn't above using them in a pinch. After all, it was how he saved his friends after her did the . . . 'you-know-what' in the Tower of Salvation.

There were new features to the hallway that the group hadn't seen in the dark. For example, there were several heavy oak doors rotting around them. Sheena pushed one open, but only got to look at a bare room. Everything seemed empty and dead. She continued leading them down the halls, turning down a slow stone staircase. Something bristled on the back of her neck. Why did she feel this way?

Sheena pondered, "Did anyone just get really cold?"

"Now that you mention it, it's a little cooler down here," Genis agreed. He analyzed their surroundings, "This must be part of an underground burial chamber. A lot of people used to bury the dead underneath their living areas. There might be a lot of dead people down here."

Zelos didn't like the sound of that, "Great. Zombies and spiders. You know how to make a person feel better, kid."

Genis growled back at the Chosen, "Not all dead things become undead, Zelos! They're just. . .probably skeletons. Anyway, they're not going to hurt us."

There was a soft pause, and then Regal murmured, ". . .what about that?"

Sheena glanced at what the ex-convict had found. It was dried up, gigantic legs curled under its torso. Its eyes were fixed foreword, multifaceted like a fly's. Smaller webs sewed it upright next to the wall. Little parts of its exoskeleton were gone, probably eaten away by bugs. Zelos cringed at the sight and refused to go near it. He didn't care if it was alive or dead—a giant spider was nothing he wanted to even look at.

"Would you look at the size of this thing?" Sheena gasped. Carefully, she stood out in front of the spider's husk. Its mandibles glimmered from Zelos's wings, almost like they were drooling. She shivered, suddenly terrified of what she saw. This was very unlike her.

Genis wasn't going near the spider either, "I don't know if I'd be messing around with it." He tried to appeal to Sheena, "I mean, think about it. Dead creatures can still be hazardous. They may carry toxins in their bodies, or even disease. We could . . .pick something up from it."

Regal didn't get near the front of the spider, but he did spend some time studying it. Something seemed out of place. He kept staring at it, wondering what was wrong. Why would something this large exist, anyway? Where there more like it? More importantly, what killed it? Could it hurt them? He frowned, ". . .something seems wrong. The shadows aren't matching up." Finally, a gear clicked in the back of his mind, "Is that--?"

"Oh my goddess," Zelos was on the verge of shrieking, "Sheena, get away from that!" The light from his wings went through the dead tissue of the spider, cast shadows on the walls. From its silhouette, they could see something was moving around inside the spider. He couldn't tell if it was an internal organ or what, but he didn't care. Something was _alive_ inside that thing.

Sheena jumped back from the spider's corpse and looked at the shadows with her friends. There were little round things inside its paper-thin abdomen, something that should have died a long time ago. Genis couldn't believe it, "It looks like eggs. But, if this is a dead creature, its gestation should have terminated with the parent." He was searching for a good explanation, "Maybe it's a cluster of parasitical eggs. I don't think that's supposed to be there."

Zelos quivered, "I don't think it's supposed to be doing that!" The rocking inside the dead spider was becoming more rapid. He could hear something crunching inside the arachnid. Thin, wiry legs burst out of one of the eggs, puncturing the outer exoskeleton. That did it for Zelos. He began to cast a spell, "Guys, I'm sorry, but I've got to do it! _Eruption!_"

The fire spell went off in a burst of magma. Unfortunately, so did the dead spider. Chunks of exoskeleton went flying everywhere, eggs boiling and rupturing under the heat. One blew up near Genis, rocketed upwards by the force of the spell. Zelos regretted getting jumpy, now trying to avoid chunks of spiders. Yet, even with his deadly accuracy, some were still moving. More eggs cracked open, scrambling away from the fire with new anger. It wasn't long before a partially deformed army of spider larva had emerged to intercept their attackers.

". . .I think this is the part where we run," Regal advised. Zelos took him up on that, dashing off towards some random direction as fast as possible. Sheena and Regal jolted after him. Genis wasn't so fast with his reflexes, barely turning in time to avoid getting bitten. All four scrambled after Zelos, hoping to evade their enemies.

All four had just about made it into another room when Genis's excitability got the best of him. When he was wound up or nervous, he would trip over anything, almost like Colette. His right foot happened to connect wrong with the ground and down he went. There was a thud behind them, and then a scream. Sheena turned to try and find Genis, but she couldn't see back behind her. Zelos had run off too fast.

Sheena cursed, "Damn-it! Genis, where are you?" Hearing no response, she charged into the darkness and started attacking blindly. There were splats of spider guts as she connected, graceful even in the murky black hall. She thought she could hear him, but she couldn't figure out from where. There were too many enemies!

Something stung in the back of her left arm. She swatted that foe away, but it was too late. She was bleeding, and that only seemed to rile up the creatures even more. There was nothing she could do for Genis right now. Retreating in shame, she stumbled back towards the direction that Zelos had bolted towards. Where did everybody go?

She was starting to lose her vision. Instinctively bringing her hand up to her head, she felt a fever coming on. _Oh, no . . ._ She could only guess what that meant. Continuing her escape down the hall, she yelled, "Guys! I need help!"

The spiders were nipping on her heels. She thought she would collapse when Regal grabbed her from behind and yanked her into another room. The door slammed shut, a very frightened Zelos throwing the bolts shut on it. Regal kept the door closed while Zelos forced furniture up against it. They both waited for a few moments until the scattering of long legs left their range of hearing. It had been too close for all of them.

That's when Sheena finally broke down. She sobbed, "I lost him. I can't believe it! I-I. . .I had a dream, and I promised Raine. . .I wouldn't lose him!"

Zelos rubbed Sheena shoulders, trying to calm her down while he settled his own fears, "It's okay. It's okay. We'll find him, you hear me? That kid might be a shrimp, but he's tough."

Sheena would have argued with Zelos and cursed him out for his impulsiveness, but she was feeling dizzy. She leaned back against the wall as Regal checked her injury. Zelos was stunned, ". . .what are you doing?"

The ex-convict bit his lip, not sure what to say. Finally he worked up the courage to speak, "Zelos . . .she's poisoned."

Zelos's eyes bulged, "You're kidding, right? Oh goddess, you're not kidding." He started swearing heavily, his words enough to be beaten for in Mizuho.

Regal shook his head, "We'll have to find Raine or an antidote as soon as possible. With some luck, she won't pass out on us. We'll have to keep her health up."

"No way in hell!" Sheena was delusional from her wound, "We are not going back to Raine so I can tell her how I screwed up!" She wobbled up, indignant, "We're going to find Genis, and then we'll go find Raine. We have to take care of him first! We—we have to—" Her eyes spotted with dots for a moment.

The ninja sat back down, ". . . why does this kind of stuff always happen to us?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

. . .A bad person is me. (Lol, Engrish time!) I don't know what exactly happened. Well, no, that's a lie. I had Band and Individual Speech to work on outside the monstrous Calculus assignments. Then, I was applying my ass off for scholarships. Then, I got a huge-ass one, and things spiraled out of control from there . . .

Plus, I started working on an additional fanfic. I'm terrible, I know! It's hard for me to write about characters I don't like in dire situations. Really, I do try not to be biased, but I just don't like Genis that much. He's a little too whiny, but it might just be me.

Hey, for 13 pages, at least we've finally got the villian's name! Wahoo! It's read like in Japan, so technically, his first name is Toshi. Oroku is just a very special last name for me, considering my history . . .(There's no real relationship to TMNT, other than the name. Well, and I might over-haul a monster . . .)

So, again, I'm sorry. I'll try to keep working on this one, even through the next few chapters. Additionally, I'll be keeping up with Tone Song as well. It's all about getting back to fear, baby!

See you again—hopefully sooner, this time.


	6. Rock And Or Roll

**Chapter Six: Rock And/Or Roll**

Lloyd was usually pretty good at fighting. Hell, that was his life. He kept alive by the wit of his sword. Colette would have complimented him on it and wished to be more like him. Genis would have mocked him because fighting was his sole talent. But, that's who Lloyd Irving was—a true knight, muscle to bone.

So, like the brave kid he was, he struck back as soon as the gigantic cracked hand flew at him. He slammed his sword straight into its palm, "_Super Sonic Thrust!_" The hand jolted around in surprise, going limp as it pulled away from Lloyd. Some of its fingers dangled from its knuckles as it retreated, immobilized from the impact. In other words, Lloyd got straight to the point.

Well, that's what Zelos would say.

Raine was worked up, "Hey! Where are you going?" She charged after the injured hand. The healer finally caught up to it and started smacking the hand into the ground. It jerked with every impact, fingers flicking sporadically. The hand lay very still against the ground long before the mage stopped beating it up.

"That was overkill," Presea commented. It was rare that Presea would ever criticize anyone—well, intentionally. She was very direct and always explained things as she saw them. It was all logical.

Raine seemed embarrassed. She withdrew from the dead hand, " . . .I thought it was going to get away."

"And do what? Tell somebody?" Lloyd shook his head, "I'm sorry, Professor. It's just that you're a little jumpier that usual."

Raine was shocked at the accusation, "Jumpy? Jumpy?" She whirled around and began accosting Lloyd, "I am not **jumpy!**"

Everyone remained silent at her outburst. Raine sighed and backed away from them, looking into the distance. Slowly, she apologized, ". . .I'm sorry, Lloyd. I feel unsettled right now." She glanced back, trying to seek something, "Do you understand what I mean?"

"It's okay, Professor," Colette was the first to forgive her, "We're all scared. Plus, I know you miss Genis. He is your little brother, after all."

Raine smiled, proud of Colette's insight. She always had her concerns about Colette's simple attitude, but it gave her a wisdom of her own. The teacher confessed, "I am worried about him, too. But, I suppose Sheena will be able to take care of him. I'm worrying over nothing, aren't I?"

Nobody answered that question for her. From behind the quartet, another rotted hand dropped down. Presea intercepted it before anyone could react, cleaving it two with one of her powerful swings. Colette crossed herself, grateful that she had been quick enough to react. She didn't like being attacked from behind.

"Let us continue our walk. If we stay too long, more of these may appear," Presea commented. Lloyd nodded, leading the way up another stony spiral staircase. Of course he was afraid they'd be attacked again. He was even a little scared that the others could get hurt, too. But, he did trust his friends. They'd be fine without him, anyway. He was only good at fighting.

. . .right?

* * *

Despite the terror facing them, Zelos was still singing. What a fruit! It wasn't like he was bad or anything, but could he have picked a worse time to break into song? They were trying to find their way back up to the main floor of the monastery, and more importantly, trying to avoid a fight. Sheena was poisoned and pretty ill as it was. Any more impairments, and they could all find themselves dead. Yet, there he was, singing away like nothing fazed him.

The Chosen belted out, "**I just gotta get out of this prison cell! Someday, I'm going to be free, Lord!**" That was the final straw for Sheena.

"Zelos, for the love of Martel, shut up!" she shrieked. She felt woozy again, swaying on her feet. Sheena put one hand on the walls and breathed as deep as she could. She didn't like this feeling of being perpetually sick, but she had no choice. Her choices were either finding Raine or hoping an antidote would show up, and she wasn't looking foreword to the first option.

Both her friends were scared at her sudden weakness. Her health would come and go, but now it was beginning to cycle more frequently. Despite how afraid she was of Raine, they knew they had to find her soon. Constantly healing her wasn't going to get her anywhere. Zelos bit his lip, now sorry for causing such a ruckus. He never intended for Sheena to get so winded by getting mad at him.

"Hey . . .I'm sorry, Sheena. Really, I didn't mean to piss you off," Zelos apologized. The ninja nodded, but remained silent otherwise. She was really sick. Sighing, Zelos cast a healing spell, "_First Aid!_" Even that didn't seem to help her too much.

Regal bowed his head in sympathy. He asked Sheena, "Do you need to rest? You have been driving yourself too hard."

She tried fighting against her weakness, but it was so overwhelming. She would have fainted, if Zelos hadn't been there to grab her before she hit her head against the wall. That was enough to freak the Chosen out. Sure, he had marched through hell and back with his friends getting hurt, but this was enough for him. Sheena was pushing herself beyond her own limits. He needed to stop her before she could kill herself.

Being the hothead he was, Zelos started making demands, "All right, everyone listen up! Regal, you don't need your hands. You're going to carry Sheena around until we find Raine. Sheena, until we find Raine or some way to heal you, you're going to refrain from fighting or any other form of strenuous activity. I'm going to fight, and I swear, if either of you get out of line, I will smack you around!"

That sounded nothing like the playful Zelos they knew. This was a scary, kick-ass side that never came out. Sheena gave into his demands, throwing her hands up in surrender, "Fine. I don't care." She then snapped back, "You know, I never get in this kind of trouble when Lloyd is around!"

"Blah blah blah—Meat-wall! Get to it!" Zelos snapped. He'd take crap from Sheena later.

Regal carefully picked the summoner up, almost cradling her like a child. She would have argued against it, but she just didn't care anymore. Besides, it wasn't like he was Zelos. She would have fought tooth-and-nail if he tried anything like that. As far as she knew, Regal was pretty harmless. Hell, Lloyd had to fight off some ditz in the Thoda Geyser just so he didn't have to break her little twitterpated heart. He had a way with words—and that backfired on him a lot. It was better than Zelos, the eternally manual lover.

"Well, now that we are settled again, let's get back to finding that first floor," Zelos smiled. He led the way and started booming another song, "**It's the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friend scream, 'Let me out!'**"

. . .Well, he totally ruined that song for her.

* * *

When he woke up, he panicked. Sure, Genis happened to panic just a little bit more than the average person, but he had a good reason to freak out. He was in a dark room that was chilly. He thought he could hear rafters creaking like the weather was beating on the roof. Wasn't he in the basement before? His head and knees sure hurt.

His eyes drifted around the dark room until he found another pair, "Ahh! Who-who's there?"

A pale human-like creature stepped into view. Human-like is a very loose term for describing her. From the base of her torso up, she appeared to be young woman with straw-colored hair. Below that was a different story. Her body was ringed like a spider's, sectioned off with an abdomen and a thorax. She was huge compared to the little half-elf.

She spoke very softly, "Calm down. You'll destroy my art."

Genis looked up at the elaborate spider webs that choked the ceiling. While they were enormous, they were meticulously crafted. Some did have flies and insects sticking to them, but most were undisturbed. It looked like the arachnid woman took a great deal of time to make them. He frowned, unsure what to think of them.

"Now that you are settled down, let's talk," The spider-lady smiled. She settled on the ground, legs folding under her heavy body, "What were you doing disturbing my young?"

Genis shook his head, "I. . .I wasn't doing anything! Zelos was being such a jerk . . .Aggh, look at me. I'm not helping Sheena at all."

The arachnid folded two of her legs in front of her as she crossed her arms, "So, you came with that odd woman. Are you also friends with the one that burns so strongly?"

Genis had to think about that for a moment. He slowly nodded, "You mean Colette? Sure, she's my friend."

"She's scaring my babies," the spider-woman growled, "You must stop that dreadful light she emits. It's too strong for us."

Genis argued with his captor, "I can't do that sitting here! What am I doing here, anyway? I know . . .I know Sheena was coming to save me."

The arachnid screeched with laughter when he said that. He flinched, shocked by her response. He yelled at her, "Hey! What's so funny?"

She pushed herself off the ground with those strange stick-like legs. Reaching out with one hand, she caught the half-elf's chin in her hands. She smiled and explained, "The odd one is very ill. My children's venom flows through her veins. Yet, she refuses to go to the one she calls Raine. Do you know why that is, young one?"

Genis's eyes widened, "Oh, no . . .she's afraid of telling her what happened to me!" His glared narrowed, and he yanked himself free of the spider-woman, "This is your fault! She's going to die because you are keeping me here! I've got to tell Raine!"

"Ah, we're not going to be doing that, little one," The woman picked Genis off his feet as he turned to run. She spun him around and told him straight in his face, "I can't let you go free. You'll ruin my art—and I mean more than what you see above your head, child."

Genis wasn't sure what she meant by that. Of course, spiders liked their webs. It was a home, a way to get food, and in this lady's mind, a work of art. Destroying them was devastating to their life cycle. But, what other art was she talking about? He hadn't seen anything else of real value here. Everything was beyond repair, the sun and the rain staining any real treasure. This place was a dump, after all. What could be artistic here?

His curious mind got the best of him, ". . .what do you mean by art?"

The spider looked up at the rafters, listening to the pounding rain. She smiled, reminiscing about something. Finally, she told the half-elf, "I was this monastery's only child. When all the monks died, so did my family. And, when I died. . .well, I came back as this. My mana was strong enough to bring me back. Perhaps it will be strong enough to bring them all back."

"That's unnatural!" Genis protested, "When you die, that's it. We don't get second chances."

She grimaced at Genis, "You lie. I know you have healers among you. That prolongs your death, doesn't it? And the one you call Raine . . .she has the power of the Unicorn. I will have to take that from her. If you deem I cannot have the power, then you cannot either."

Genis tried arguing, "I-it's not like that!"

"It's exactly like that!" the spider screamed back at him. She threw him in disgust at one of the walls. He landed in a crumbled heap, some of the webbing tangled around him. Genis was a little sturdier than the arachnid wished, and he started getting back on his feet. He was going to protect his sister and his friends, even if he had to do it all alone.

She growled, "It appears I have to keep you in place, child. I cannot have you destroying my art."

Genis never met such a crazed and dedicated artisan before.

* * *

Lloyd was timing how fast the hands were coming behind them. One would drop every fifteen feet, which added up when they were in long hallways. They hadn't been caught yet, but running was starting to take its toll. They couldn't keep this up forever. They'd have to stop and fight eventually. However, Lloyd was very satisfied with running.

Presea pointed out a direction, "That way." She leap-frogged diagonally across the hall and pushed another door open. Raine bolted next, her orange robes bright in the otherwise murky hall. Lloyd tentatively stepped out and guarded Colette as they both crossed, slashing as another undead appendage fell from the ceiling. They slammed the door shut behind them and waited from the thunking of hands to stop.

"It's never going to stop, is it?" Colette asked. She seemed a little frightened. This wasn't the usual, happy-go-lucky Colette everyone was used to. Something was bothering her.

Lloyd frowned, "Colette, are you okay? You seem nervous."

The angel jumped at the suggestion. She shook her head, "Something feels wrong. It's like there's a mana disturbance here."

The four people glanced around the room. There was nothing in immediate sight that looked threatening. Raine put her hands on her hips, glancing upwards at the ceiling. Well, it was a little bit over-run with cobwebs. That wasn't really a problem, though. What was Colette sensing?

Lloyd tried to calm her down, "It's nothing, Colette. See? We're all fine—"

**WHAM!** The hands behind the door were acting up again. They hammered on it as hard as they could, splinters bouncing out of the frame. Lloyd and Presea shoved themselves against the door and tried holding it shut. Why had they come back? Didn't they outfox them?

Even if Lloyd and Presea could hold the door shut, the door didn't keep in one piece. With one final blow, the door blew open and flung the humans aside. Thirteen blue-skinned hands began crawling into the room on their fingertips like arachnids. Presea and Lloyd rolled out of the way before they could get trampled, but it wasn't much help. They were totally outnumbered.

Raine was the first to strike back. She bashed her staff into the side of one hand, barely strong enough to knock it off its path. With another spin, she slammed another one away. She wasn't strong enough to do this on her own! Raine snapped at her teammates, "Well? Are you going to help me or what?"

Colette, Lloyd, and Presea quickly flanked the professor. Presea smashed into a third hand with her axe, but it got stuck in the sticky undead flesh. Lloyd tumbled under another hand and went towards the middle, swords dancing on the tips of his fingers. Colette threw both of her chakram as hard as she could at two approaching Raine and her, but they didn't stop creeping towards them. She had a sudden dread in her heart that they weren't going to make it.

Lloyd saw the fear in Colette's eyes and yelled, "Don't give up! Remember what we did at Fuego's fortress? You have a strong power! Use it!"

"H-how?" She was choked up. The angel barely missed being pile-driven into the floor.

Presea commanded, "We do not know. You must find out, now!" Three fingers flicked her into a wall, but she remained steady. Presea was not a fragile girl. She glared back at Colette and yelled, "Look within yourself! Hurry!"

Colette could have argued or panicked some more, but she didn't have the time. With a refined sense of nobility, she toughened up and started looking for some source of power within herself. What did she tap into when she used her angelic powers? She just about reached that power when a hand snatched her off the ground. Its rubbery dead fingers constricted, squeezing the air out of the Chosen of Sylvarant.

"Colette!" Lloyd lost his focus. Another hand tackled him into the ground, pinning him under its weight. He tried slashing himself free, but he couldn't prop himself up. One of his swords went spinning away in the chaos, kicked loose by the shuffling chaos.

Several more hands dove at Raine and Presea. Raine couldn't keep her guard steady and crashed into the floor. Presea still tried to yank her axe free, but the hand she injured kept bucking her off. She was going to be crushed as well if she couldn't get her weapon back. This was all coming down to what one nervous Chosen was willing to do.

Finally, something clicked into place. Colette flew over the swarming masses, her wings emanating a brilliant fire. Her entire body started to glow red and white. Small burning embers began to spin into balls around her, kanji appearing in black flashes. The fire started swirling around in a circle, almost like a gigantic seal grew up behind her. She was a glorious sight to see, her entire body alight with fire.

With an angry voice, she screamed, "_Light of judgment, cast you rage onto these demonic souls! I beg of you! _**Smoldering Mandala!**"

* * *

**GuooOOOAAAAWWWW!**

The entire building shook withsome intense power. Zelos flinched and flung one arm over his head, hoping it wouldn't collapse on itself. Finally, the tremors stopped and he dropped his defense. He looked upwards, wondering where that came from.

Sheena glared at Zelos, still half-nauseated, "What did you do now?"

"Me? Why is everything my fault?" Zelos crossed his arms, "That time you got sick from food poisoning, that was Raine's fault. You still blamed me for it!"

Regal shook his head and sighed. Sometimes, he felt like he was too old to stand quarrelling—and he wasn't even middle aged yet. Interrupting the argument, he suggested, "We should investigate what that was, and perhaps even . . ." He stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly overwhelmed by the atmosphere, "Did it just get very hot?"

Zelos put one hand on his chin and thought, "You know, it is a little warm. Sheena, how are you feeling?"

The ninja flopped herself over Regal's shoulder and turned green. That about said enough right there. She groaned back, ". . . everyone needs to shut up now." The ground started to look very far away. She shut her eyes and shivered feverously. How could she let herself get this bad? Why couldn't she be strong enough to protect anyone for once in her life? Hell, why couldn't she avoid getting in trouble?

Zelos was taken back by what she said. He turned to her in the eyes, watching as they started clouding. His mouth dropped in shock. He didn't think she was that sick! Zelos hated seeing her like this. Even if she did reject him and told him hurtful things, he still detested the thought of how terrible she was feeling.

The Chosen frowned, then made up his mind. He gently put his hand over Sheena's eyes and cooed, "Okay. Don't overwork yourself. We'll keep quiet."

Sheena took his word for it and started to drift off again. Both the Chosen and the ex-convict gritted their teeth, knowing she was slowly dying. There wasn't time to look for a second option anymore. Zelos gulped, trying to get the dry anxiety out of his throat.

Lowering his head, he decided, "Let's take her to Raine. I know she'll be pissed, but. . ."

Regal agreed with Zelos, "We have no choice." He re-adjusted the dozing ninja to his other shoulder and nodded his consent once more. Zelos bit his lip, and then signaled for Regal to follow him. Both bolted down the hallways, footsteps making no more sound than feathers falling to the earth. This was one of those decisions Zelos had to go against Sheena on. He knew she would kill him if she had any idea of his plot, but he'd have to risk it. He didn't want to end up with a dead hunny.

Life was so complicated for a philanderer/aristocrat/hero.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

There! NYAH! Finally, I got a chapter done. It's probably a little crudier than most of my work, but it'll keep you guys satiated for a little while. (What can I say? I have more ideas going for my other fanfic right now!)

Does anyone know how to spell twitterpated? That's only what suggested. . .(twitterpated—past verb meaning 'falling in love at first sight'). Candy creeps me out, yo. (And I'm not talking about chocolate—Chocolat? Why are all these girls named after food?)

. . .when I think of Zelos singing, why is it always Queen songs? Aggh . . .


	7. Don't Feed The Plants

**Chapter Seven: Don't Feed the Plants**

Igaguri wished that Verius would just leave. He knew the fox had no will of his own, but this was ridiculous. That Oroku Toshi fellow had summoned the creature just to guard him, and it was now approaching the fourth hour of his vigil. Toshi just wanted to keep the kitsune from helping Sheena. Igaguri hoped she was not in trouble. Her death would break his old, weathered heart.

"_Please, be patient. Your imprisonment is mine as well_," Verius tried to encourage the old man. He retracted into his mind, a shell against the world. It was hard to feel pain when he was a rock.

Calmly, Igaguri talked as if nothing could bother him, "How was Sheena-chan doing?"

Verius frowned, unable to tell much, "_She successfully completed her first trial. She was about to embark on her second mission when I was summoned here_."

"Ah. I take it you are not pleased, either," Igaguri smirked. The joke stirred up the pain in his ribs. The broken bones felt like lances in his side. Biting off the agitation, he fell into a meditation pose. It was something to do, at least for a while.

Verius bowed his noble head. His ears lowered as he confessed, "_I would not have left her if I had my way. I would not have banished her, nor would I have forced her to fight to come back home. The power of a summon spirit . . .is limited_."

Igaguri smiled, "Infinite powers, yet no jurisdiction of how they are used. That would be . . .difficult."

The fox and the old man sat in silence for some more time. It hurt Igaguri to talk for too long. Despite his intense concentration on meditation, the pain would still trickle into his body. He winced as he tried to block it out. His own simple mending probably would not be enough to correctly heal his bones. Sheena's success determined the length of his own life.

"_However, I trust Sheena will make it back. I have felt the strength of her heart and her mind_," Verius slowly moved his tails as he spoke, "_She will overcome any path in her way._"

Igaguri inspected his wound for a moment, taking that information in. Weakily, he questioned, "Does that mean you think Mizuho will be saved?"

Verius clarified, "_It means . . .all of us will be saved_."

Perhaps it was really only a matter of time. Igaguri prayed that his own hourglass would not run out on him.

* * *

Zelos closed his eyes and tried to focus. Had he been here before? All the halls looked the same to him. He was beginning to panic, claustrophobia starting to set in. He glanced over at the unconscious ninja on Regal's shoulder, and he felt like he was going to throw up. He was impossibly lost, and all his friends would die a long and terrible death. Where was he going? Who put him in charge, anyway? It was a bit too much for him.

Finally, he made a decision, "Ugh . . .right!"

He peered around the corner and whooped with joy. There it was, a blue-stoned staircase leading back up to the main floor. It was the little things in life that kept Zelos motivated. A man can only take so many punches before he needs a break. He nearly skipped as he jumped up the stairs, orange angel wings throwing mana dust everywhere. He was one happy Chosen.

"I told you that we could trust you," Regal smiled, and then tried tending to Sheena. She was still unconscious, but she seemed a little better. Maybe her rest had helped her. Closing his eyes, Regal concentrated his mana and tried to give the ninja some strength, "Keep with us. _Grand Healer._"

The sudden surge of mana tingled through Sheena's body. She came to, still weak but at least she could see what was happening. Groggily, she asked, "How long was I out?"

Zelos laughed, rubbing his hand through her hair, "Maybe an hour. But, hey! We're finally out of the basement!" He started dancing around, now energized as well. Zelos was very vicarious person—if one of his friends had a victory, so did he. Sheena waking up was something he could be very happy about.

Sheena took a glance around and remarked, "It looks . . . different."

All three looked around the room, and then Zelos cursed. Yes, they were on the first floor again, but this was a different area. It was like they had circled to the opposite side of the building while they were wandering around downstairs like lost mice. Oh, well. At least there were windows and fresh air. Being down in that dank smelly catacomb did not sit well with Zelos's constitution.

Staring out the window, Regal grimaced, "It's still raining. I suppose we have no way of telling directions."

"Well, then we'll have to do this my way," Zelos boomed. Almost like a general, he started making orders, "Let's take that stairwell leading up over there, and we'll start combing the floors above us. I suppose if we hear something, we can call out for my hunnies. Colette should be able to hear us, right? Then we can go see Raine and get my lovely ninja fixed up."

Sheena buried her head into Regal's shoulder and muttered, "Not until we find Genis." Zelos's eyebrows furrowed, unhappy with Sheena's response. She still wanted to look for Genis. Zelos had given up that priority long ago—the shrimp could wait. He had to take care of Sheena first. Genis could be dead, for all he knew. He had to protect the living.

"Okay. You just relax, and we'll see what happens," Zelos told Sheena. He shook his head to Regal to explain his view. The ex-convict frowned, but then nodded slowly. He hated to lie, but this was one of those times where he had to. He made sure the ninja was still safe, and then waited for Zelos's commands.

Zelos stared at the three exits around the room and then chose their route like he had before—einey, meiney, miney, mo . . .

* * *

The arachnid woman was making a fuss again. She had been trying to resurrect some random monk, but failed once more. All she had manifested from the guy was two freakishly huge hands. Genis didn't make any noise as she continued to work, trying to pick up information. He was tethered to one of her massive webs, so it was difficult for him to escape. Even if he did cast a spell and break loose, he was sure that she was fast enough to catch up with him. Spiders were excellent sprinters, even large half-human ones like her.

But, he did learn a few things from listening to her spells. She was some kind of geomancer and specialized in making creations out of dirt. Some of the spirits she contacted to force into a new body called her Sheroba. Apparently, she wasn't very good at resurrection spells. Sure, Raine did have a unicorn's horn, but anything as bizarre and focused as Sheroba should have been able to eventually learn something.

Besides her constant swearing, Genis was left pretty much alone and in silence. He wasn't looking foreword to having to talk with her again any time soon. Despite his own situation, he couldn't help but feel bad for his friends. They were wandering lost in this labyrinth of a monastery, and he knew they were probably hurt. If he could only help them find each other . . .

"This is blasphemy!" Sheroba erupted in rage. Turning, she growled at the mage, "Well? Do you know why I keep failing? You do seem to be intelligent, even if you do not practice healing arts."

Genis shrugged, now being a cocky elf. Even tied up, he wasn't humbled, "Well, I know when my sister casts healing spells, she's actually nice to people first."

Sheroba narrowed her eyes and growled, "This is not the time to be cute, half-elf. Remember, the life force of your friends will fade away here if you do not co-operate."

"Okay, okay. She also has a unicorn's horn, but I don't know if you even know where to find one of those," Genis revealed. He wasn't afraid of revealing his sister's powers. Besides, she would totally kick this shaman's butt if she came after her.

"Unicorn's horn? That is a more holy method than I use," Sheroba dismissed that claim, "Are you sure she has no alternate sources of power?"

Genis shook his head, "Nope. She's naturally gifted, like me." He started to brag, "You know, I could cast any spell in here and break free if I wanted to."

"Yes, but then I'd have speed up the death of your friends," the spider-lady smirked, "And, from what little I know of you, I believe you would not want me to kill your sister." She waved her hand around and dismissed the half-elf, "Until you can think of something else, I'm going to keep trying my own art."

Genis rolled his eyes. Despite the way she talked, he was getting the feeling that this Sheroba person was an idiot. Maybe he should break free. What could that spider lady do if he blew her up first? Then again, getting downstairs to everybody would be a hassle. If he wasn't smushed by giant hands or eaten alive by spiders, there was always the chance that his friends had already succumbed to the same death. He would just have to wait for stupid Lloyd to show up before he tried anything.

Sheroba thought in silence for a moment, then settled on an idea, "Well, it looks like I have no choice." She started waving her hands cyclically through the air and chanted, "_Creature of the earth and dust, I seek your power. Please, aid me! Gnome!_"

Sure enough, the earth summon spirit popped up. His bow twirled around in midair for a second, and then he addressed Sheroba, "_Hey, Sheroba-babe. How can I help you out?_"

"I ask only one favor of you," she snickered. Creeping around on those long stick-like legs, she circled the summon spirit, "The half-elf spoke something about his sister having a unicorn's horn. Is the holy technique the only way to properly raise the dead?"

Gnome frowned, unsure if he liked where this situation was going. He answered, "_Well, there's the zombie stuff, but you've tried that. Outside of doing it the holy way . . .nope, there's no other good way to do it. Well, unless you got another power to intervene for you or something._"

Sheroba cackled, "Why don't you just reincarnate my fellow monks for me, then? You are a powerful spirit of the earth, aren't you?"

Gnome backed away from that idea, "_Lady, I don't do that for nobody. Bringing people back from the dead is not a pretty thing. I just don't do that!_" He absent-mindedly added, "_There's a lot of things I won't do, either. I can't make people love each other, I can't dig up hidden treasures, and I can't make curry. It just doesn't work._"

Genis sighed loudly in the background. Now he had to listen to two idiots! Great! He shook his head in dismay, "Come on, guys. Where are you?"

"_Oh, come to think about it, I've gotta give you a head's up,_" what Genis said sparked something in Gnome's scatter-brained mind. He advised Sheroba, "_My other summoner's coming up on the big treasure I told them about. She can't use it, but that doesn't mean it won't be useful. Know what I mean?_"

Sheroba seemed to be taken back, "The Sword of Kirin? You're joking! No one could use that sword—not even our head master in his prime. What sort of demon could use it?"

Gnome bounced around in terror, "_Hey, don't shoot the messenger! I'm just saying that if one of them gets a hold of it, one of them could use it. I mean, they already have the Flamberge and the Vorpal sword._"

"You speak lies! Those two weapons make up the Eternal Sword!" the arachnid was furious with Gnome, "The last man who had that was—"

Genis interrupted, "A half-elf. Yeah. We had to kill him in order to save our world." He lowered his head, ". . .I didn't like it, but we didn't have a choice. He wouldn't give up his power." Then, Genis frowned, "But, how do you know about Yggdrasil?"

Sheroba was stunned for a moment. She couldn't speak, shaking her head in confusion. She paced back and forth with her legs clicking on the stone floors. Finally, she muttered, "So, it seems my nightly visions are true. The dead half-elf, the flocks of angels, the heroes to come—they were of your team." She bent her arms behind her back and thought some more, "Then, it appears I have no choice. Regardless of what you say is good and evil, I know that I was informed by my masters to protect the sword at all costs. So, that is what I shall do."

With a new and terrible thunder in her voice, Sheroba commanded Gnome, "Create for me a monster out of the vines in this monastery. They reach all the parts of this place, and they shall make an excellent sentry. It must stop them from getting the Sword of Kirin at all costs."

"_Ya know, with all respect, it's not going to matter if they get that sword if they don't have the Sword of Ten—_", Gnome started.

Sheroba clipped the spirit's advice short, "Do as I say, or else!"

Gnome disappeared in a flash of mana, "_Fine, fine! Don't say I didn't warn you!_" The vines at the end of the room went alive with energy. They glowed a bright green color, digging their shoots deeper into the bricks of the monastery. Then, they too disappeared from the wall. They were going to pursue the ninja and make sure that her team did not retrieve that sword.

Genis could only shake his head in shock. Another two swords like Lloyd's? What power could they possibly have? Having a sword that could withstand the ages of time and travel through them was powerful enough. What could rival such power? He hoped he wouldn't have to find out, especially not at the cost of his friends' lives.

He could only pray for them right now, and he wasn't too big on that.

* * *

Sometimes, fate throws mortals a big whopping sign. It's like somebody points a gigantic finger down at the ground, and bam! Something shows up! Other times, it's a subtle message gently whispered on the winds of change. It becomes difficult to pick up all these signs after a while, but Zelos was no idiot to signs. This one was loud and clear.

After all, the room behind the door was _glowing_. That's got to be one of the most obvious duhs there is.

"Do you think that is Colette?" Regal questioned. Outside of her bright wings, he couldn't think of anything else that would be so radiant.

Zelos shrugged, and then yelled, "**HEEEY, COLETTE! IS THAT YOU!**"

Regal shot Zelos a dirty look. Sheena was still trying to rest, and nobody liked it when the ninja was pissed off. Regal was notorious for walking on broken glass around people—Zelos, not so much. The Chosen blew him off and waited faithfully for his response. Sure enough, a couple of seconds later, he heard a faint, "Zelos? Where are you?"

"We're outside the door, silly!" Zelos laughed and twisted the door open. That's when he noticed that the other Chosen wasn't in the glowing room. It was fairly dark except for the radiant object on the back wall. Thick vines and plants grew throughout the walls, and the air blew coolly through those same cracks. He thought they were inside the monastery quite a ways—was there a courtyard in here?

Now, Lloyd's voice came hollering, "Zelos, what door? Where are you?" It sounded like both of them were above the ninja, the Chosen, and the ex-convict. There were some other footsteps as well, probably Raine and Presea.

Zelos called back up, "I guess we're a floor below you. Hurry it up, would ya? Sheena's in trouble!"

Raine's voice confirmed her presence, "How bad are her injuries?"

"Just get down here! We'll be in the shining room," Zelos yelled to the group above their heads. It seemed like his voice echoed for miles around. Regal was surprised that Sheena was still sleeping through all that racket. Ninja were pretty amazing, though.

Regal was concerned about Zelos's plan, however, "Are we going in there alone? We might as well wait for them."

Zelos rolled his eyes, "I found it, so I'm searching it out. Dibs on anything in there." He was so childish, sometimes. Begrudgingly, Regal followed Zelos into the dark room and helped him investigate the strange glowing object.

It was . . .a sword? Zelos stepped closer to take a look at it, hands running over a hilt. It looked like it was gold, but it would be much too weak to be a proper weapon. He pulled it out of the vine tangle and took another glance at it. He then noticed that only the embellishments were in gold. The blade was a sturdy alloy of some kind, but he wasn't familiar with the metal. Red aged leather bound part of the hilt, covering up some sort of symbols on it. He flipped it over to continue gushing over it. This was _so_ his.

**Thwack! **The door behind them slammed shut. Regal shook his head, silently reprimanding Zelos, and placed his hands on the handle. It wouldn't budge! Furiously, he placed one leg on the edge of the wall and pulled back with immense strength. The lock wasn't doing as much as buckling. With some frustration, he let go and growled, "It's not opening. Do you have some sort of a plan?"

Zelos nervously scratched the back of his head, "Huh . . .well, I didn't think that would happen. Well, wake Sheena up and see if she can do anything." It was lucky that sword was still glowing, otherwise all three of them would have been clouded in a world of darkness. Zelos forgot to keep his wings out, after all. He was scatterbrained when he was excited.

Gently, Regal nudged the unconscious ninja on his shoulder. She came to, mildly confused about the black and strange room. He explained, "Could you see if there is a lock to pick?"

The ninja was still very groggy, but not even poison could dull her mastery of picking locks. She slid down and took a look at the bolted door. Picking a hairpin loose from her bun, she tried to jiggle the release on the lock. She grumbled as she kept trying to mess with it. She wearily demanded, "Light."

Zelos assumed that meant him. With his newfound sword in hand, he crouched down next to Sheena and lit her view. She didn't know where he got the new weapon from, but she wasn't going to take time and ask him about it. Her hands became more dexterous as she saw through the mechanisms of the door. It certainly was complex, for such an old place! She hadn't seen locks this difficult since . . .well, Welgaia.

All of a sudden, Zelos grouched, "Hey, quit touching me. I only let girls do that."

Regal glanced at the Chosen, confused, ". . .what are you talking about?"

Zelos turned his head and got a glimpse of something scurrying behind him. He could hear something twisting in the background, almost like it was rubber. It ran away from his line of sight, almost like it knew that Zelos was ready to fight at the drop of a hat. He took the light away from Sheena for a moment, trying to light up the dark corners of the room. What was that?

"Guys? Are you okay," Lloyd asked from outside. They must have all gotten down the stairs in one piece.

Zelos frowned, "Lloyd, we might just have a situation on our—yaaahh!"

A green appendage wrapped around the Chosen's ankle and yanked him to the floor. His head hit the ground, almost knocking him out with the force of the crack. He struggled in vain to get back up, something dragging him away from the doorway. It slammed him against the wall, tangling him even more into the vines on the walls. Both Regal and Sheena jumped in surprise, trying to figure out what was going on.

Sheena hoarsely hollered, "Zelos? What's going on?"

"They are in distress. Destroy the door!" Presea ordered. She must have heard how harshly Zelos hit the ground.

Raine tried to keep tabs on the situation, "Guys, keep with me. What's wrong? Genis, are you there?"

Neither Sheena or Regal responded. Both stared at the atrocity starting to unfold from the wall. It began to crumble as shoot after shoot started to peel out of the stone bricks. The room shook with its power as parts started to crash down around them, rafters breaking free and smashing down. The ceiling burst open above them, more rubble and brick giving way to the damp storm. Both crouched in defense as they tried to ride out the sudden collapse.

Leaves and more stems revealed the final monster. It looked like it had the head of a flytrap plant, but something was sickeningly wrong with it. There were sharp extensions around its head—not exactly teeth, but with the strange liquid secreting around them, they certainly looked like it. It turned its gaze to the entangled Chosen and did yet another very strange thing. For all its immense power, it seemed like the plant had become . . .chatty.

It laughed at them, "Would you take a look at that? It's a lot of folks who deserve to die!"

* * *

Author's Note:

. . .okay, so here's the story. I was looking through the prop room in our local community theater with my sister when she brought up that our town previously did Little Shop of Horrors. (She's the prop guru of the high school drama department, and she's only a freshman!) So, she shows me this giant puppet they used for Audrey II, and I was totally digging it. (She wants to find some way to use it for one of their plays. I didn't think they can do LSoH at that level. . .)

Well, I thought it was cool enough. So, there's my inspiration for the chapter! Damn you, Rick Moranis! Damn you and your hatred of strawberry yogurt and raspberry jam! Wait, that was another movie . . .

So, next round, expect a battle! Yay, violence! I actually had to roll it out—that's right, Dungeons & Dragons style. I'm a little munchkin, what can I say?

So, go read something else now. Yeah . . .wait, no! Review, please! . . .ah, crap, you probably already left.


	8. Break Away

**Chapter Eight: Break Away**

The door finally gave way to Presea's tremendous strength. As Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and the little girl entered, their eyes traveled to a gigantic plant. The ceiling and walls crumbled from its force, caking the room in a layer of debris. It ripped itself loose in its creation and was growing from an internal courtyard of the monastery. Sheena and Regal evaded its power by dodging fallen debris, but Zelos had not been so lucky. Now he was scrounging to get free from the vines and stems that entangled him.

With such a monstrous situation on his hands, Lloyd had to ask for help, "Uh, Professor? Got any ideas?"

"Why do you always ask me? Can't you think for yourself?" Raine grumbled, "Oh, never mind. Colette, Lloyd, Presea, go attack the plant and try to help out the Chosen, would you?"

Not another word needed to be said. The three kids leapt off to attack as Raine came over to check on Sheena. She could sense some sort of abnormality, since she was a healer. The way the panic in her eyes looked . . . that was something else. Why was Sheena afraid of her?

The ninja tried to get the teacher to leave her alone, "Really, I'm fine. Go help Lloyd and the others." Her voice sounded pained, something that only reaffirmed Raine's previous guesses. Sheena was injured, but she was being stubborn as ever about it.

Glancing around the room, Raine realized one other important thing. Where was her brother? Panic flared in her own eyes as she demanded, "Where's Genis? What happened?"

"There was . . .an incident," Regal explained, simultaneously defending the ninja, "Genis was overwhelmed when we were attacked by a hoard of spiders. Sheena tried to save them, but was poisoned in the process. We removed her from battle and ran. . .and then, we could not recover Genis." He bowed his head in sorrow, "She has taken it as her own fault. She was afraid to come to you for help. Please, do not be angry with her."

Raine's heart ran through a series of emotions. The first one was rage, and she wanted to reach out and strangle all of them for letting her brother get hurt. The second was panic—she wanted to go back to where Genis was lost and find him. Finally, she settled on pity. Here Sheena was, trying to evade her for what happened, even when she was near death. She gave up and sighed, not sure what to do with the entire lot of them.

"All right, I believe you," Raine pushed her anger away and knelt down to Sheena's side. Lifting up her staff, she cast, "_Recover_." A mint-green light glowed around Sheena's body, and then abruptly faded away. The ninja felt much better as the dizziness and nausea left her. She'd misjudged Raine. Maybe there was a shred of mercy in her heart.

Raine shut both of them up before they could thank her, "You want to make this up to me? Then go and kill this monster quickly so we can spend more time looking for my brother. Do you two have any other questions or problems that I can fix?"

Both remained silent, shaking their heads to make their point. Raine smirked, "Good. Let's kill this thing so we can save my brother."

Raine was quite the commander when she had to be.

* * *

On the opposite side of the problem, Genis was getting fed up. He wasn't one to stay kidnapped for very long. He could hear something rumbling a few floors below him, and he was very uncomfortable with that. Gravity and half-elves didn't mix well at higher elevations, and Genis had no doubt that he was in a very high place. If Lloyd wasn't getting to him fast enough, then he'd have to start without that idiot.

Another rumble echoed through the dark room. Sheroba hissed as it went, crouching on her spindly legs. She was livid, "What is happening? Gnome certainly creates clumsy guardians."

Genis rolled his eyes, "Gee, let's think about this for a moment. Was it wise to make a monster out of the vines in this place when they've cracked through the foundation of the building? We're lucky it hasn't collapsed on us."

"Shut up, you little irritant!" Sheroba snapped at him, "I'm only keeping you alive for my amusement, you know."

Genis wasn't cowed by such words. He growled back, "Amusement? Is everything fun to you?" He struggled against the bonds of spider silk, "You can't make art out of reincarnating people or animating things. You have to respect that creatures live and die, and you can't make something fruity out of it! My friends respect mortality. To you, it's a toy!"

Sheroba snarled, "Do you wish to die? I can expedite that. I may not be capable of bringing people back to life wholly, but I certainly can kill one measly child."

Genis smirked again. He wriggled in the net and got his arm into his pocket. There was his trusty kendama, wood handle smooth as ever. He pulled it out of his pocket and began bouncing the small ball on it back and forth, closing his eyes in concentration. Sheroba seemed to be taken back by him, but then lightly chuckled. It was a child, after all—of course he'd have a toy.

"What is that, hmm? Do you think something so small and meaningless like a toy could defeat me?" Sheroba smiled. She taunted the half-elf, "Who is the foolish one now?"

Genis gave her an answer she wasn't expecting, "_Flame Lance!_"

* * *

Like most girls, Colette loved flowers. However, she wasn't so keen about this gigantic one. She didn't like things that were slobbery—and whatever that liquid was coming out of the plant's huge flower, it certainly wasn't nice. She gathered some courage up and leapt at the plant, chakrams sailing around its mass. Some tendrils hissed when they connected, fiery power destroying their life. There was something funky going on with everyone else's attacks. It seemed like whenever they cut it, it would grow back! It was like a hydra!

"Babe, babe. You're killing me, really," the plant monster talked back. Absent-mindedly, it flipped Zelos from one set of vines to another. The other Chosen wasn't doing so well, struggling to get loose but still tangled in the numerous coils. He gasped for breath as it continued taunting Colette, "I didn't ask you to set me on fire, did I? You wouldn't like it if I did it to you!"

Lloyd shook his head, "Just shut up and die already!" Bursts of ice froze the stumps where he cut. In the humidity of the atmosphere, that quickly melted and started multiplying. He dodged one coming for his head, watching as it split from its injury and shoot out for him. At least he was doing some damage.

"Efficiency is lowered forty percent over continuous periods of talking," Presea commented as she swung her heavy axe over her head. Where she struck, the plant was spotting strange dark colors. It was if Shadow's Amethyst was slowing it from its regeneration as well. Still, it was quite a bit for her to handle. She almost stumbled over a shoot that snaked around her heels, but she didn't stop to catch herself. Presea was like a rock.

Raine noticed the strange effects her group was having on the plant. She could bash her way through some of the vines through the help of Sylph's Opal. Presea, Lloyd, and Colette all had respective advantages for fighting the plant monster. On the other hand, Regal wasn't making the same dents into their enemy that he was capable of. Come to think of it, Sheena didn't look like she was having a great deal of luck, either. Her swings simply bounced back, unable to even sever its hide.

Like a general, Raine ordered, "Sheena! Regal! Fall back and provide support. Do not attack!"

The plant helped Raine out with that call. It yanked Regal off the ground and tossed him straight into a pile of rubble. The ex-convict shook off the blow, wheezing, "You're right. We're in grave danger." He gathered up enough strength to stand, then glanced back up at the monster. With a sudden change in intensity, he yelled, "Raine, look ou—"

**WHACK!** The plant sent Raine sprawling as well, skidding across the ground for a few feet. Regal helped her get back up, cautioning the healer, "Don't be caught unaware again. We will not fair well if you are defeated." She shrugged off the blast and thanked him for his help.

A chill ran down Sheena's back. It sounded so familiar . . .but how? She backed off as Presea took up her spot. It was probably only déjà vu. She let the feeling slip away and tried to think of another plan. Well, she could enchant her weapons to be a different element, as well as lightning. That seemed to be a good idea.

She began to chant when a vine wrapped around her ankle and pulled her upside down into the air. There was a strange sensation of vertigo, and then she wanted to scream. Zelos cursed at the sight, struggling in vain to somehow help her. The plant constricted tighter around his frame, pinning his arms straight to his side. He growled in frustration, "Lloyd, you idiot! Help her out!"

"I'm trying!" Lloyd couldn't jump high enough to cut her loose. Sheena didn't realize how high up she was until she watched one of her shoes slip off her foot and crash to the ground. It snapped in two, too delicate to be used for combat. It was surprising that it had lasted this long. She was probably going to break too if she slipped loose.

Colette yipped, "I've got it! Hold on!" She zipped off the ground and through two tangles of vines to reach the summoner. With two clean throws, she burned through Sheena's bonds and caught her. Her wings flapped and gave off embers as she dropped the summoner back on the ground.

Sheena smiled and thanked Colette, "I was getting a little worried up there. Thanks." Thinking quickly, she added, "You probably should go help that idiot Zelos as well."

Colette glanced up, but she was very confused. She asked, "Where's Zelos?" Both of them searched the masses of vines and tendrils, but he was nowhere to be seen. Even worse, they couldn't hear him. It was one thing to not see him, but not hearing him was a serious problem. Where did he go so damn fast?

They had their answer when the plant belched. Both girls glanced at each other in disbelief, and then back up at the monster. It rumbled, "What? I haven't had breakfast."

There was a tick of anger in Sheena's eyes. She yelled, "That's it! I've put up with this _kuso_ long enough!" She had a sudden flare of rage, and the area around her went pitch black. All of her teammates backed off as she whipped out one of her ofuda and started chanting, "_Disciple of Everlasting Ice, I summon thee! Come, Celsius!_"

As soon as she said the last word, a beautiful blue woman came forth. She caked the entire room with a layer of snow with her force alone. She held one hand out towards the plant monster and yelled, "_It's over!_" Ice erupted from her palms and spread out through the whole plant, freezing it in its frenzy. She then disappeared in a poof of light blue mana.

Everything was very still for a moment. Then shards of ice and snow flew backwards. Everyone guarded as the plant woke back up, startled that the blast of summon mana hadn't stopped it. The monster cackled back, "Nice one, nice one. Now, let me have a turn!"

From the nicks and cuts that Celsius made, new tendrils shot out. The first bunch grabbed onto Lloyd and Presea. They veered around Colette, avoiding the flames of her wings the best that it could. Sheena braced against the attack and tried not to slip on the melting snow around her. Even then, they wrapped around her waist and stretched out to catch Raine and Regal. Sheena was beginning to wonder why she didn't summon Efreet. She cussed to herself as they were all vaulted into the air.

The vines kept growing and tangling around them. It was almost like a sea of plants surging out to swallow them. Presea yelped somewhere in the tangle, but no one could see what was going on. It was overwhelming to fight against. Even Lloyd was getting desperate.

"Colette! Think of something!" Lloyd tried encouraging the angel to fight. She was a little freaked out by the grotesque size of it, not captured but still frightened by the vines zipping around her. She nodded, trying to find what to do. Her angel skills wouldn't be of any great help, especially since the plant seemed to feed off light abilities.

Sheena focused her strength for a moment, then called to the angel, "Colette, you know how sometimes I can use those powers Volt gave me?"

Colette nodded, timidly responding, "Yes?"

"Try thinking about what you got from Efreet, and see if you can do it!" Sheena called back, still flailing with her legs and trying to get loose. It seemed pretty pointless since even Regal couldn't kick himself free. Still, she had to try.

Raine's eyes brightened, "That's right! Colette, you did some sort of attack earlier that was fire-based! Find the strength inside yourself, and do it again!"

Colette wasn't sure she was feeling good enough to actually pull that off once more. Yet, she did have the Sacrifice spell that fed off her weakness to save her friends. Raine would take care of her if its strength knocked her out. Smiling as strong as she could, she began focusing her power again and searching for that ability. Her friends were depending on her!

"_Light of judgment, cast you rage onto these demonic souls! I beg of you!"_ Colette finally chanted,"**Smoldering Mandala!**"

Balls of red and white flames started building around the Chosen. Sheena gasped in surprise as they began to glow dark black kanji as well. They rotated with an intense velocity around her, throwing off heat as they went. She radiated fire as well, her entire body a brilliant flame. Then, everything became whiter than anyone could see.

And the plant swore, "Oh, crap."

Fire erupted from Colette's form, shooting out all at once. The blasts singed the vines binding her friends and dropped them awkwardly to the ground. The remainders of Celsius's spell went hissing up into the sky as Colette's power slammed straight into the body of the plant monster. It burned with an awful earthy smell, charring black as her power annihilated it. Finally, it wavered and fell on the entire team as it died.

There was an aching moment where everyone wasn't sure what exactly happened, then the group got up. Lloyd helped Colette as she returned back to the ground and swayed. The attack drained a great deal of her power, but it was worth it. Regal squirmed free from the plant debris tangled around him and went to look for Presea. She was all right as well, cutting Sheena and Raine loose as they couldn't get out themselves. Raine made a quick head count and then asked, "Has anyone seen Zelos?"

From inside the plant's main stem, a strange protuberance began to bust out. Everyone backed away as a golden sword ripped through the body of the plant. Zelos staggered out of its body, covered in thick, clear slime. He shuddered and sat down on top of its scorched remains, his head reeling from the entire battle. Being eaten alive wasn't something he enjoyed.

"Zelos? Are you okay?" Lloyd asked, concerned about the other Chosen as well. It usually wasn't a good day for him when both Colette and Zelos were under the weather.

Zelos grumbled, "Yeah, not that you care." He shivered against as he looked over his body for damage, "I think that thing was draining mana from me."

Raine nodded, "That sounds logical. You do have the Topaz, after all. It was probably using the light mana it was giving off to drive photosynthesis and cell repair."

Lloyd covered his ears with his hands, "Ugh, no biology. My brain can't take it right now."

Something began crumbling around them. Sheena sighed as she looked down, cracks running through the bottom of the room. That was all she needed, "What's going on?"

"There appears to be structural damage. This is due to the strength of our battle. I believe the plant was growing into the foundation of the monastery," Presea analyzed, "We must move quickly. This floor is about to collapse."

That was enough for Zelos, "Great! Just great! I was just thinking to myself, 'You know what would be awesome? If the room caved in while I was in it!' That would just make my day!"

Regal didn't take the time to express his complaints. He grabbed Presea and took her suggestion, running out of the room as fast as possible. Lloyd shrugged and followed suit, helping Colette back up and walking out with her. Sheena rolled her eyes and got Zelos back on his feet. They ran out with Raine seconds before the room crumbled into the floor below.

Raine frowned and spoke her mind, "This isn't good. This whole place may collapse soon. We've got to go find Genis."

Zelos moaned, just as frustrated as she was, "What makes you think he's still alive? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but—"

"We can't give up just because it's a bad situation," Lloyd interjected. He cleared his throat and continued, "We have to keep together and find him."

"I wasn't going to give up on the twerp, you know," Zelos growled back, but then lightened up, "Besides, I guess I do kind of like him . . .you know, in the way a dog likes his fleas or whatever."

Regal smirked and cupped one hand on his chin, "Are you the dog or the flea?"

". . .shut up," Zelos grumbled. He used to getting that crap from Lloyd. Getting burned by Regal was beyond humiliation, considering he rarely ever teased anyone.

"Well, then. That settles it. We've got to keep moving," Raine made up the group's mind, "He's got to be around here somewhere."

The group all turned and went upstairs. They weren't sure why they went that way—it just seemed logical. Everything was always in the highest spot and furthest away from where they started. As they went up the nearby staircase, Sheena couldn't help but have that strange feeling again. It was like she heard Raine say that somewhere before. . .Sheena hated feelings like that.

It made her stomach sink, much like the floors were doing below them.

* * *

He could hear somebody coming, and it was about time. Genis was having second thoughts about initiating a battle without somebody to protect him. Sure, he was holding his own ground. Sheroba was a much slower spell-caster than he was, and he could dodge her attacks well. Still, he was causing too much collateral damage. The entire room was set aflame from his first attack, and every spell after it had not quenched its fire. It consumed ancient tapestries and spider webs in its path. Thick gray smoke was too much to work around as well, and he thought he was going to have an asthma attack.

It was too dark to see what Sheroba was doing. The spider-woman snuck up behind Genis and slashed him with her bare hands. He yelped in surprise, casting off a quick spell, "_Fireball!_" The blasts pushed Sheroba back, but it wasn't going to keep her at bay forever. He really needed somebody to show up.

As luck would have it, he could hear people running up steps just outside the door. They were fighting off something in the walls as well, most likely those zombie hands Sheroba was so fond of. He smiled as he heard a familiar voice swear and slash straight through the monsters and hit the floor. Lloyd was coming!

"What is that dreadful cacophony?" Sheroba hissed at the door. She turned back to Genis and snarled, "Those are your idiot friends, aren't they?"

Genis snapped back, "Don't call them that! They've killed more powerful people than you! They'd defeat you in a second!"

Sheroba sneered at the half-elf, "That may be . . .but can they get here before I kill you?"

She caught Genis off guard, spraying him with some silky liquid. It hardened over his eyes, and he stumbled backwards into some web remains. He coughed as he tried to get the stuff off his eyes. The smoke was getting to him. He needed to find fresh air, and fast.

Just as he thought his lungs were burning shut, somebody slammed the door open. He couldn't see who was there, but he had his ideas when a feminine voice cried, "Genis! Hold on—we'll get you!"

Genis smiled and held his hands over his eyes, "I'm okay! Just get rid of her!" Sheena cared about him just like his sister did. It was nice to have someone like him just for being her friend.

Zelos was a little freaked out, "Man! Look at that freak! Genis, don't tell me that ugly thing is a girl."

"What rudeness! Surely these are your companions," Sheroba growled back at Genis. She lunged at the doorway, sending his friends scattering to evade her blow. He could hear her legs scratching against the floor and turning back to fight them.

Sheena made some commands over the chaos and the flames, "Zelos and Presea! Get Genis down as fast as you can! Lloyd, Colette, Regal—stay with me and let's kill this witch!"

Raine questioned, "And what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, I trust you. Do what you've gotta do!" Sheena smiled at her, then flew at the spider-woman with her cards darting every which way. Raine smirked at the humor behind that, and then went to help Zelos and Presea. Perhaps she was getting too kind. She'd need to fix that.

Taking the second half of the crew into attack, Raine ordered, "Zelos! Go untangle my brother this instant!"

"What? Am I the only one who's risking his pretty face and hands?" the Chosen whined. Obviously, Raine didn't take that as a joke. He surrendered, "Okay. Hold on!" He started picking and cutting Genis loose from the tangle, "Hold on! I've almost got it!"

Within seconds, Zelos got Genis out of the spider's mess. Presea tended to him as well, helping him clean the gunk out of his eyes. He secretly got a kick out of that. She was always so kind to him, but she was always taking care of his him as well. It was like she was his sister. He blushed as she patted his shoulder for comfort. Then, all four turned back to check out how Sheena was fairing on her side.

Sheroba was quite the problem for all four of them, even with her lack of speed. Lloyd severed one of her legs, but it didn't throw her balance off that much. She shot more web material out of her hands and abdomen, catching both Lloyd and Colette and the blast. Regal dove at her with his entire body and knocked her back against the walls, but she caught the scruff of his neck when he landed and tossed him into some ruined webs. Sheena growled and kept fighting, bursting one card attack after another, "_Power seal! Serpent Seal Pinion! Pyre Seal!_"

It was going pretty normal for a heavy battle until a gigantic lilac light blew up in the middle of the room. Everyone staggered out of its way, watching something reconstitute and leap out of it. It shook mana from its fur as it came into form, soft yellow fur growing over a lithe midsection. Then, its tails flushed blue and a bell set started jingling. Sheena couldn't believe her fortune. Verius had come back!

However, the kitsune wasn't in a friendly mood. He yelled at the eight heroes, "_Out of the way! Now!_"

Everyone was curious about what that meant until a second light burst. It was much larger than Verius's mana and grew a lot faster. Lloyd and Colette rolled out of the way first, followed quickly by the others. Sheroba stared in confusion as a human-like creature came into view. Somehow, it seemed—

**SQUISH!**

Well, certainly no one was expecting that, least of all Sheroba. She store down at her thorax, observing the naginata in her chest almost as if it was a normal occurring protrusion. She caught some of the blood running from the wound and looked up at the man wielding the instrument. Those red eyes . . .were so . . .familiar.

Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she made some sort of gurgling noise. She fell to the ground, struck dead almost instantaneously. The dark man pressed one foot against her corpse and yanked the instrument back out. He had some sort of heartlessness to him that struck all their souls speechless. His dark blue robes were accented with red drops of blood and white lotus patterns. Where did this guy come from?

The wicked sorcerer studied the group with an intense glare. He settled on Zelos, staring right at the golden sword in his right hand. He walked over to take it from the Chosen, but some bright power radiated from it and shoved it away. The wizard cursed in some foreign language, and then turned to observe Sheena. Even Verius backed off as the man went to talk with the summoner.

"_Your friend has the Sword of Kirin, I see. It is most unfortunate that he should get it before I did_," the sorcerer spoke in a strangely flat level of voice. He turned back to glance at the Chosen, "_I cannot take it from him. . .but it is no matter. It is not the sword I was looking for after all_. _I'll simply have to take it from him later, when he's dead. That shouldn't be long, especially if I have anything to do about it._"

Sheena's voice choked in her throat for a second. She recognized that dark voice now! She growled, "You! You're the one that banished us from Mizuho!"

He smiled at the ninja, perfect white teeth glimmering evilly in the firelight, "_You are correct. My name is Oroku Toshi. You would do well to learn it, summoner, for I will be the one to take your life_." He braced his large hands on the naginata once more, eyes glowing demonically from under his cloak. Lloyd jumped over to protect her, both anticipating another battle.

"_Master, I would stop. Killing the summoner now would be of no use to you_," Verius informed his master. Toshi turned to interpret what the kitsune was trying to say. He continued, "_She is the only one that can retrieve what you are looking for. As for further error, killing her would void your chances of securing possible powers that the joined lands could offer you_."

There was a moment of silence, and then Toshi agreed, "_Let it be as you say, Verius._" He turned back to the summoner and cackled, "_I suppose I will let you keep your pathetic lives for now. Be wary that I will come and take your life from you and your pathetic grandfather yet, Miss Fujibayashi. It's fate_."

Both the dark sorcerer and the kitsune disappeared in another blast of purple smoke. Everyone held their breath for a moment, uncertain what to say or do. Colette looked especially concerned, wondering what that was all about. Presea and Genis walked over to comfort the ninja, but she was beyond their consoling. She just wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

Finally, Regal interrupted the silence, "I hate to seem callous, but we should get out of here. This tower will soon collapse, and I doubt the smoke is helping us."

Raine agreed, and quietly led everyone from the ruins, "I'm sure Gnome will be taking us from this place soon. That's what Efreet did, although Sheena and Zelos don't know that."

"Hey! We don't bring up about how I had my butt handed to—eww!" Zelos started on a tangent, but then stopped, "Ugh, I've got spider guts all over me! Gross!"

Everyone began to leave the scene of destruction. Sheena trailed at the back of the group, too shocked to speak. This was the man that took them from their home . . .from her grandfather. Perhaps that was what that dream was warning her of. . perhaps the foreboding wasn't Genis's death. Maybe it was a threat of their deaths to come . . .she didn't like thinking about it.

Lloyd tried cheering the summoner up, "Sheena? Are you all right? You look kind of pale."

"Ah. . .I'll be fine. Really," Sheena tried to wave Lloyd off. The boy was smarter than that, even if he did only do well in P.E. and Art in school.

He put one hand on her shoulder and smiled, "Whatever that guy's talking about, don't believe it. We're going to win, and we're going to find a way back to Mizuho. I know we can!"

Sheena wished she had Lloyd's optimism. Maybe it was better just to smile, just for now. It was certainly better than worrying about dying. She nodded, and grabbed his hand and held it, "I hope you're right, Lloyd."

She'd have to learn to grin and bear it.

* * *

Author's Note:

Wow, I think that was less cliff-hanger-y than I usually leave things. (Lol, screwed up word or what?)

I haven't got much to say. Just wanted to start doing summer updates. They might be a bit sparser than in other years—I've got a job, after all. But, I'll do the best I can!

Anyway, see you next round. Wonder who's up next on the chopping block? Mwa ha ha!


	9. Frost Bitten

**Chapter Nine: Frost Bitten**

_Great. Now what? All she wanted to do was get some rest. Instead, she was having . . .this was a dream, wasn't it? Yeah, it felt too strange to be real. It wasn't like there were times in her life when her life was stranger than fiction, but this wasn't one of those times. She was quite sure about that. _

_Her first clue was that she was wearing a blue . . .puffy . . .ballgown? She would have never worn that out fighting! Come to think of it, she hadn't seen anything like that in her life. Ever. Then, there were the surroundings. It looked like the ballroom from Meltokio, but it was so much larger. There were beautiful tiled floors and ceilings that were open to a flawless starry night. It was too much to be real. _

_Her friends were there, too. She could see them standing around, some of them dancing as well. Like her, they were dressed in such splendor that she couldn't imagine. How did her brain come up with this? When they saw her, they kept saying something. What was it? She couldn't hear their voices, but she knew the words on their lips. They kept repeating, "Go to him."_

_Go to him? Go where? She glanced over to an open terrace, and saw someone standing in the moonlight. It was . . .Lloyd? But, he looked too mature to be him! He stood calmly, watching the stars in a dark tuxedo and just . . .she shook her head. This was getting too weird for her! But, if this was only a dream, it didn't matter what she did. She might as well go and see what he wanted._

_As Sheena approached Lloyd, he turned around and held out a hand to her. She took it, blushing crimson as she stepped out with him. Okay, this was way too embarrassing! It wasn't like she had to tell anybody, though. This could be her secret . . .her little, beautiful, awkward secret._

_Lloyd was so relaxed when he spoke with her. He gazed longingly at the stars and murmured, "Isn't it nice tonight?"_

_"I guess. This really isn't my style, you know?" Sheena shrugged. She clasped her gloved hands together and sighed, "It's okay for a dream, but. . ."_

_Lloyd laughed and turned to look at her, "Then just let it be okay."_

_He did something she didn't expect. He reached out a hand and brushed one tendril of her hair back behind her ears. She was breathless, unable to say anything in return. Well, okay. This was getting even more. . .but it wasn't bad. . .She blushed again and bowed her head._

_Lloyd spoke with her again, "We've got to stick together, you know. It's the only way we can win."_

_"I know, Lloyd," Sheena nodded, still too embarrassed to look up, "It's getting tougher than I thought."_

_"You've got a wonderful thing to fight for, though," Lloyd smiled at her. He crossed his arms and joked, "Are you going to guess what it is?"_

_It seemed like Lloyd was real, for that moment. Sheena laughed as well and responded, "I guess it's going to be something corny like justice or perseverance or—"_

_Lloyd interrupted her, "Or love?"_

_That took her breath away. Sheena agreed, slowly bobbing her head, "Yes . . .love." She was shaken, almost trying to remind herself, "Lloyd, this isn't real. This is just a dream . . . what am I saying?"_

_"Then just let it be a dream! It's something else you can fight for, even if you don't have it now," Lloyd responded. He held her hands as he continued, "It might not be me, Sheena. It might not be anybody. But, you've got to keep going for the very idea of love. Somebody has to."_

_"That's . . . that's very profound for you, Lloyd," Sheena smiled. She turned away for a moment, bowing her head once more. There was a feeling of regret in her heart. Why did this have to be a dream? Why couldn't she feel this in real life? . . .no, that'd be awkward. It'd be nice to feel loved, though. It would be—_

_"**Sheena! Watch out!"**_

_Sheena turned back to see an atrocity rise out of the night sky. It was an alabaster color, almost white going on blue. Its monstrous tube-shaped body gleamed with a figure of evil against the moonlight, shrieking some kind of incomprehensible sound. Lloyd drew the Eternal Swords and prepared to fight, but Sheen was overwhelmed. No! Why did this have to . . .she bit back the urge to cry._

_Lloyd yelled back, "Sheena, you've got to wake up now! You're not going to like how this ends!"_

_The slender creature dove at the dance hall, and she screamed as razor-sharp teeth came to consume both Lloyd and her._

* * *

Sheena crashed back into reality. She was breathing much too hard. Sweat dribbled down her forehead, but she ignored it. It looked like she was going to have another rough night sleeping. Well, it was pointless at this time. She could hear somebody else in their camp get up. It was probably time she got up, too. What would a few more minutes of sleep be good for a night warrior? She might as well just give up.

"Sheena? You are up as well?" a deep voice asked her. She sighed—it was just Regal. He was probably going to go off somewhere in the bamboo forest and do katas. He usually did that extremely early in the morning. Maybe she could get in some extra sleep after all.

She flopped back against the ground and whispered, "Yeah. I guess I had a bad dream."

Regal smiled, and then offered, "If you're not going back to sleep, you are more than welcome to warm up with me."

"I. . .I might take you up on that," Sheena stuttered. She was still feeling overwhelmed by that strange dream. Sometimes working off stress was the only way Sheena could feel better.

The aristocrat waited patiently for the ninja to uncurl herself from the forest floor and arm herself. He gestured for her to lead, then followed her further into the bamboo. Sheena didn't know why he asked her to come out here if he wasn't going to lead her somewhere. Then again, none of them knew what this place was like. They had wandered it for. . .three days, now? And yet, it was still so foreign for them.

They walked out towards a clearing. This was the first time Sheena ever saw something other than the forest. There were heavy lavender skies, but it didn't feel like it was going to rain. The grass was soft, but a little longer than the fields she was used to at home. There was even a cobalt stream running along the distance. Maybe this would finally lead them somewhere.

"It's nice out here," Sheena commented. She crossed her arms and watched clouds move by, "It reminds me a lot of home."

Regal was surprised by her answer. He turned to her and asked, "Are you homesick?"

It wasn't something she had thought of until now. After a few moments of thought, she shook her head, "No. We ninja don't have attachments to the land. Just to the people."

"I understand," Regal sighed, starting to stretch as he kept talking, "Being here . . .it must be painful for you. You have many people at home that you care for."

Sheena blushed, "Y-yeah, I guess you could. . .say that." She chuckled to herself and started unwinding as well, "That sounded a lot like what Lloyd would say."

Regal smirked and continued to warm up. He managed to keep his balance on one hand as he spoke, "Then that was what your dream was about."

"What? What do you mean by that?" Sheena was a little riled up, "Just because I say something about Lloyd, that doesn't mean that I—"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Sheena," Regal laughed. He let go of his stance and continued into a new set of stretches, "We don't always have the most normal or logical dreams. As long as you take their message to heart, it shouldn't be anything for you to be so embarrassed about."

Sheena rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right." She started practicing one of her katas with her cards, "That's easy to say when you're not having dreams about giant worm-things and ballrooms and . . .and Lloyd."

There was a soft, quiet moment while both of them snapped out of their practices. Regal stopped all together, simply sitting and thinking of something to say. The way he kept staring at the sky while he was thinking was strange. Sheena shrugged it off and continued. At least he wasn't looking at her. That would have unnerved her, just a little bit.

Finally, Regal broke the silence, "Last night, I dreamt about when I was a prisoner. I. . .I was fighting against some monster, and. . .I don't remember what it was, or where I was. I thought maybe it was the sewers, but . . .he was hurt, and when the creature lunged at him, I froze. I couldn't . . .I didn't. . .but that voice . . ." He looked downward, eyes closed in thought.

Sheena frowned, ". . .and?" If there was one that she hated, it was when people didn't finish their thoughts.

". . .dreams are hard to understand, Sheena. Just remember that," Regal looked sullen. He got up from the grass and dusted his pants off, "Everything can be seen in two lights, at the very least. You mustn't get lost in falsehoods and mysteries."

Sheena kept silent. There was some nerve she had struck in him, but he didn't want to talk about it. She started to understand how difficult it really was to get a ninja and an introvert to talk with each other. There was always going to be periods of silence. Maybe that's why she got so frustrated with people—maybe she was seeking the quiet. But, it was too creepy, even for her.

". . .then you dreamt about Lloyd, too," Sheena chuckled, but it wasn't a happy giggle. It was almost one of a sad realization. Her friends were just as scared as she was. But, it was worse. They were terrified of what they were going to go through . . .and maybe even what the powers of the spirits would turn them into.

Regal was speechless. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Lowering his eyes, he covered his forehead with his left hand. His silence spoke his fear for him. Only if everyone had such an interpreter as silence.

Sheena thought out loud, "Two lights. So, show me the two ways you could think about this."

"On one hand, our dreams could be premonitions," Regal guessed, "On the other, they may be just strange illusions. I believe mine is an illusion. Yours. . ." He tried to lighten up, "I would put trust in them, Sheena."

She put her hands on her hips, "And why do you think that?"

He didn't give her an answer. That was all Sheena needed—Regal was turning her question into a rhetorical statement. There were something things that irritated her about being a ninja, and unanswered questions was one of those pet peeves. She sighed, and then gave up, "Okay. Don't answer me."

"All right," Regal smiled.

Sheena swore, "Damn-it!" And she was supposed to be the crafty one!

* * *

_"He is ready to talk."_

That was the response Oroku Toshi wanted to hear for quite some time now. He knew it would take time to crack someone as tough as Igaguri, but he wasn't expecting three days. Apparently, his need for food was breaking him. Toshi couldn't help but think his broken rib had something to do with his sudden change as well. It was about time that the old man came to his senses.

Toshi smirked, _"Very well. I'll handle this from here, Verius."_

He turned to enter the room where Igaguri was barricaded, but Verius stopped him. The fox sat down in front of the prison, his tails flicking slowly up and down. Toshi didn't like the looks of this. Although the kitsune was his summon spirit, he appeared to still have a mind of his own. He hated that. How did Sheena put up with such insolence? . . .oh, that was right. The summoner actually cared for him. Her weakness disgusted the impatient sorcerer.

_"Well?"_ Toshi didn't want to waste time with the kitsune.

Verius made his request, _"I know I have no right to tell you this, but you must not slay Igaguri after you are finished with him. It would be an unwise move."_

Toshi snorted with laughter, _"Is that so? Tell me; what benefit do I have in keeping him alive after I ask for the location of the Sword of Ten—"_

_"He knows of many other powers and weapons, as well. You must be patient and get what information you can out of him,"_ Verius advised, _"Killing him before he has revealed everything would be . . .foolish."_

_"I only need the sword. Nothing else,"_ Toshi dismissed the kitsune. Verius sulked off in defeat, allowing Toshi to access the door. The sorcerer retrieved a key from one of the folds of his dark gray robe and unlocked the door.

He paused for a moment, and readdressed Verius, _"But. . .you have told me many things that are true. Even if it does spare the lives of my enemies, your wisdom is remarkable."_

_"Living in dishonor is worse than dying to protect your friends,"_ Verius quipped a familiar Mizuho quote. He reminded Toshi, _"Remember; Igaguri will tell you where the sword is, but he does it because he knows you cannot get it on your own."_

Toshi smiled, white rows of teeth cutting at the darkness of his shadowed face, _"I know. But, I am good at manipulating a situation to my advantage. Let us see what the old man tells me."_

Verius watched as the greedy man entered the prison on his own. He could only hope to preserve Igaguri's life until Sheena found a way back home.

* * *

Celsius had come today. When she appeared on the plain, every plant in a twenty-foot radius froze. She was rather patient waiting for Sheena and Regal to come back from katas. Zelos was not as relaxed. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his 'cool beauty', but he didn't like waking up half-frozen. Worse off, Sheena had gone off alone in the forest with someone other than him. That just didn't settle well with him.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Zelos snapped. No one else was hostile besides him, so Sheena just rolled her eyes and ignored his crabbiness.

Celsius chuckled at the Chosen's frustration, _"He's so territorial. It's amusing."_

"Yes, well, I'm glad you're getting a kick out of we mortals," Raine wasn't in a charming mood, but she wasn't lashing out. She was tired more than anything else.

Lloyd tried to get Zelos to lighten up, "Come on. You know they weren't up to anything."

Zelos smirked, "Well, that's true. I'm pretty sure Regal hasn't had a sex drive since—"

"Would you all shut up?" Sheena shook her head, "I mean, we have a summon spirit with us! Can't you act a little more . . .decent?"

Celsius couldn't help but be amused, _"It's no bother, really. I enjoy watching fights."_

Genis wasn't surprised, "Why am I not shocked by that?"

"All right! Here we go!" Sheena stopped their nonsense, "Celsius, what do we have to do for you?"

_"You want me to test you? Gladly!"_ Celsius was more than happy to take control of the situation. Everyone paid attention to her as she continued, _"I've noticed recently that your party has had some difficulties co-operating."_

Genis felt embarrassed, "Did you have to put it so bluntly?"

"It's true," Presea commented. She offered up her view, "We have been operating at a level that is less than efficient. Last time, Sheena was poisoned and Genis was captured when we split up. That cut our rate of speed down by twenty-five percent."

"Don't forget a plant ate me," Zelos interrupted.

". . .all right. Then we were cut down by thirty seven point five percent," Presea re-calculated their statistics. Everyone was a little disturbed by her analytical mind, but it was something they should have expected from her by now.

Colette tried getting everyone back on track, "Okay. So, we've been having problems. What should we do?"

_"Good question! I was just about to get to that,"_ Celsius was impressed by Colette's thoughts. They were actually linear, for once. She explained their mission, _"I wish to test your individual strengths, and then I will activate Lloyd's power."_

Sheena didn't like the sound of that, "What? How?"

Celsius frowned, _"I'm splitting you eight up across a plain of ice. However, you will not be able to contact nor sense each other until you physically run into each other."_

"You're going to have us randomly walking around until we hit each other by chance?" Raine was astonished, "What is this?"

_"I call it 'pinballing', but that's beyond the point,"_ Celsius crossed her arms, _"That's my terms. You've all got to fight for yourself and then find the others by happenstance. It's the only way I'll give the Sapphire any power."_

Everyone stopped to wait for Sheena's response. She was a little unnerved that everyone was looking to her for a decision. She thought about it for a moment, and then asked, "Are you sure we'll be able to do this?"

Celsius seemed disappointed, _"Of course. Sheena, do you doubt me? I wouldn't do anything that would directly hurt my summoner."_

"Well, I know, but . . .it seems like an impossible task," Sheena defended her position, "It might take days . . .weeks, even."

_"Complaining about its difficulty will only stall you longer. Are you ready?"_ Celsius cut her off. Everyone was a little surprised with her shortness, but they didn't argue about it anymore. Sheena gave the summon spirit a thumbs up and prepared herself for something ridiculously hard. Sometimes, she thought the spirits liked to mess with her.

Without warning, a cold front blasted through the bamboo forest. Snow blinded all of them, winds whipping at a ferocious speed. Sheena tried shielding her eyes against the snow. It felt like her entire body was lanced with ice crystals. Then, something crunched under her feet as she landed in a snowy field. The transportation was done . . .and it was as Celsius said. Her friends were all missing.

Sheena sighed and took another glance around the field. Mountains jarred up in the distance, surrounded by coniferous forests. The sky was sunless, and it looked like it was about to snow. It was difficult to track anyone in this kind of weather, never-the-less invisible people. She glanced up at the sky and hoped that it wouldn't snow too soon.

A snowflake landed on her nose. Fate really had it against her today.

* * *

Igaguri smiled at Toshi's rage. Apparently, the answer he had given him wasn't the one he was expecting to hear.

_". . .what do you mean by 'It's not here'?"_ Toshi growled.

Igaguri sat up taller and explain, "My ancestors banned the Sword of Tengu from this plain many centuries ago. It is now adrift in some other land."

There was a mixture of angers that settled inside Toshi's jaw. First, there was the frustration that he had waited too long and that his information was outdated. Second, Igaguri had no clue where the sword now existed. Finally, there was the matter of Igaguri's joy from seeing him fail. It was too much to stand.

Toshi grabbed the old man off the floor by his robe, _"You. . .I should kill you now for your tongue."_

"Do so. I am not afraid," There wasn't as much as a trickle of sweat on Igaguri's neck. He truly had no reason to fear the pushy sorcerer. He'd spent time as a spirit separated from his body before. That was not terrifying. Besides, Toshi had done the worst possible thing done to him already.

_". . .the kitsune says that you know of other powers. I shall keep you alive for that knowledge,"_ Toshi had no reason to question the old man further. He threw him back on the floor without anything more than apathy.

Igaguri almost smiled as Toshi left him. He managed to tell him nothing, at least this time. Of course, Igaguri knew which plain the sword had been cast to. It was in a hidden, ancient realm that had been cast long into ruin. It was just like the Sword of Kirin, wherever that one had went. His ancestors would not have been so foolish as to keep the swords hidden together.

Verius walked through the door of the prison cell and went to guard Igaguri. It looked like his master was having him keep an eye on him again. Igaguri didn't mind the kitsune being around. He never caused him any harm, and having him around reminded him of his granddaughter. His heart hurt to think of Sheena.

_"So, he still knows nothing,"_ Verius started a quiet conversation.

Igaguri finally did smile, "There is a difference between knowing nothing and knowing something invaluable."

_". . .either way, you still have you life. That was more than he planned to leave you with,"_ the kitsune commented.

"I know. I don't have much value for my life, not right now," Igaguri sobered himself again. He folded into a seiza pose once more and sighed, "As long as Sheena lives, that is all that matters. How is she fairing?"

Verius responded, _"She is doing well. Last night, I was able to help them find food. They have also succeeded in their quests so far. It may be only a matter of days until she returns home."_

Igaguri frowned in his meditation, "To return to this place? I hate to think of what our home has become. It truly is a land of death."

_"If she does not return, all of this planet will become mindless. Nothing will stop Toshi from creating a world devoid of resistance and intelligence,"_ Verius tried to persuade the old man, _"All the world, like this. . .it is a terrible thing to think of."_

_"Then, I suppose we should pray for her safe return and for a glorious victory once she arrives,"_ Igaguri suggested. The kitsune agreed, although he didn't know how that would fare. Coming back would mean overriding his magic, and that was going to take some effort. After that, if they destroyed his mana. . .

. . .Verius was not sure if he would see Sheena's victory.

* * *

Author's Note:

Ah. . .ah. . . .you didn't see that Shelloyd. It wasn't there. It doesn't exist. THERE IS NO SPOON! AGGGH!

. . .come on, don't tell me you don't get weird dreams like that?

I don't have much else to say, I guess. Hope you enjoyed!


	10. Northern Exposure

**Chapter Ten: Northern Exposure**

What started as a soft snowfall exploded into a blizzard. Sheena could tolerate the cold better than most people, but her robes were no help. Her legs were chilled from the freezing wind. She still had some feeling in her toes and fingers, but she didn't want to stay out in the storm much longer. She had to stay out here and wait to run into someone.

Celsius had a really rotten test laid out for her. Separating her friends was one thing, and finding them wouldn't have been so difficult, but how? They couldn't even see each other! How did she expect them to even find her friends so quickly? Sheena didn't like putting too much thought into it. The whole situation was just making her frustrated.

"Aggh. I've got to find a cave and warm up before I start talking to myself," Sheena mumbled. She smacked herself—too late. Oh, well. She wasn't going crazy yet. All she had to do is keep focused and try not to let the cold mess with her head.

She shuffled a few more meters through the snow when she tripped over something. Snow shot up as she landed with an awkward, ungraceful thump. She hissed as she regained her senses, looking for what she hadn't seen. There was a small chunk of chain in the ground. It seemed like random garbage.

Sheena snarled as she picked the links up, "I've got to be more careful. That could have been a trap." As she pulled up on it, something very strange happened. It turned out her little chain was longer than she thought. It appeared from the ground in a huge line, glimmering as its invisibility wore off. Celsius wasn't kidding—there was stuff here that she couldn't see.

The second thing she noticed was worse. There was a snapping trap connected to the chain. It was huge and made of dark iron, strong enough to snag a bear. Or worse. Her heart trembled to think that this was lying as a trap for her friends. What if they couldn't see it either, and just happened to take the wrong step?

Well, at least she had a job to do now. She fiddled with the iron trap and deactivated it, then followed the chain until it shook another trap loose. She'd have to destroy all of these. Hopefully, none of her friends would be—

**_Snap!_**

Her heart jolted again. Something had gone off. She called off into the distance, "Who's there? It's me, Sheena! Are you okay?"

It was very silent. Maybe it was just a dumb animal. Never-the-less, she had some sympathy for whatever it was. She kept following the chain links and hoped to find the sprung trap quickly. She asked again, "Is anybody there?"

"Sheena! I-I'm . . .ack!" there was a response this time. She shivered as she recognized the voice. It was Lloyd! She hurried further down the field, ignoring the other traps. She could get to them later. Lloyd was much more important right now. How could she let him get hurt?

She ran faster, "Lloyd! What happened?"

His voice came back, "I-I must have taken a bad step. I think I really hurt myself this time." It was strange how articulate Lloyd was for being injured. Sheena didn't put too much thought into that, though. She just had to help him!

"It's okay, Lloyd! I'm here," Sheena tried to comfort him. She kept following the chain of traps down and revealing them, but none of them had Lloyd caught in them. She cursed herself for being so slow. He could bleed to death!

With a quick tug, she finally came to Lloyd's trap. She gasped, "Are you all—"

It was worse than she thought it could be. In the trap, there was a person that vaguely looked like Lloyd. But, he had an evil glimmer in his eyes. Even with his leg bleeding, he didn't look hurt. In fact, he seemed to ignore that problem all together. With a sickening snap, he yanked his leg out of the bear trap. She tried not to gag as she noticed something else wrong with him. His leg instantly healed from the wound, something squirming under his pant leg. What was he?

"You're not Lloyd!" Sheena staggered backwards, preparing herself for combat.

The strange human snickered, "Heh heh! Fooled you!"

* * *

The real Lloyd Irving was running for his life. Once again, he had jumped into battle without thinking his strategy through. And now, he had a gigantic and mutated Sliver monster chasing him. Great. There was nothing more enjoyable than a romp through the snow with a seven-ton gray worm, especially one with particularly nasty fangs.

He cried out as the monster dove at him. He barely rolled out of the way before it slammed into the ground, burrowing several feet into the snow bank. It popped up a couple of meters away, but Lloyd had anticipated its movements and sidestepped it. At least it was a dumb monster he was dealing with. As long as he kept moving, maybe he could kill it!

It barreled at him again. This time, Lloyd jumped to the side and stabbed it in the flank as it dove. He made a nice, long tear in its flesh, but that hardly hindered it. Even worse, his sword was lodged in its flesh and he couldn't get it loose. He staggered as it kept going downwards. Finally, with a great pull, both he and his sword landed back in the snow without going down.

As it resurfaced, Lloyd noticed something peculiar about the monster. Its injured side was healing. Small little worm monsters were burrowing in its side, and it looked more like a parasite than something useful. However, it seemed to be triggering the monster's healing powers. That just disgusted Lloyd.

He lamented, "Man, I'm out of ideas. Where's Genis when I need him?"

* * *

"Ack!"

The half-elf had the misfortune of landing directly on the side of a mountain in an avalanche. Luckily, he was close to the base of the mountain and didn't receive the full impact of the snow. It had taken him a couple of minutes to dig himself out of the snowdrift and back on top of the snow. It was more physical effort than Genis liked to do, though. His arms hurt from his scramble to the surface.

He took his time to survey the air, "I need to get a better look." He noticed a grove of evergreen trees, but they were all toppled to the side from the avalanche. It was good enough for him, though. He wondered out loud, "Maybe I've got the power to fix them."

Genis stood next to the tallest downed tree and put his hands on the side of the trunk. A few moments later, the bark began to grow out and down towards the ground. He could feel tremors as roots reconnected to the trunk, and then it began to lift off the ground. It stood upright once more. It would be more than enough to see out around him.

"Would you look at that?" Genis smirked, "That's pretty impressive. I wonder what else I can do. . .I'll worry about that later, though."

He went to climb the tree when he ran into a second difficulty. Genis didn't exactly have the upper arm strength to haul himself up. The branches were too high up, and digging into the bark with his fingers didn't help him. He sighed, standing back and looking up. There had to be something else he could do.

Aha! He came up with a solution, "Tree, help me up!" He placed his hand against the trunk and waited for something to happen.

A branch sprung out low enough for him to jump on. He got on it and sat down. Slowly, the branch ascended to the top of the tree. He could see a lot better up here. With great care, Genis stepped towards the center of the tree and looked out. It was snowing quite a bit, but he could see patches of things here and there. It would have helped if it wasn't so dark out, but he couldn't do anything about the snowstorm.

He winced through the gray mass of weather and saw something unusual. A bright colored object was soaring towards the mountains from far away. It looked like a small rainbow beam. What could that possibly be? He gasped as it rushed towards the mountains, roaring over his head within seconds. It vanished in a puff of multicolored magic. Only a few rainbow feathers were left in its wake, floating gently down towards the ground.

Genis couldn't help but wonder, ". . .what was that?"

* * *

Colette sped up after the bird. It had made the mistake of assuming that she was just a normal human. After the bird tried to attack her from the air, Colette flew up and fought back. Now, she had it on the run. Normally, Colette wasn't so dogged with her enemies, but she thought this was truly something evil and worth pursuing. Maybe it'd even lead her somewhere good.

That was when it disappeared. She stopped chasing it around and panted. She should have known it would have had a final trick to escape her, but she didn't expect it to completely vanish. She sighed and flew towards the ground. It was all right that it had left. She needed to rest for a moment anyway.

"I hate fighting on my own, anyway," Colette crossed her arms and relaxed. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to settle down. Just when she was comfortable, she heard something diving towards her. She rolled out of the way and chucked her chakram at it. The bird reappeared in a blast of colored feathers.

Colette whined, "Why are you picking on me?" She tossed a few more miscellaneous spells at it, "**Pow Hammer**!** Para Ball**! **Stardust Cross**!" They splattered in the bird's beak, much to its chagrin. It took off in the air once more, and so did Colette.

"Stupid bird! Why don't you go away?" Colette asked, then threw another set of hammers at it. At least one hit it. It turned around in midair and blasted a prismatic light at her. She ducked the attack and returned with another volley, hoping this wouldn't last very long.

Finally, Colette hit it with a powerful attack, "Torrential Para Ball!" The bird shrieked and took off over the ocean. Colette flew after it and watched as it continued to lose altitude. After following it for a while, it spiraled and crashed into the ocean. She fatigued it before it could fight back. At least it was off her back.

She hated to be so cruel, but she didn't want that monster popping up after her again. She tried to comfort herself, "It's what Presea would have done. I have to protect myself." Still, she felt bad that she had to attack such a beautiful creature. But if it would have kept coming after her, she could have been hurt very badly. Looking up, she felt like she had forgotten something.

She frowned, "Ah . . .what was I doing, again?"

* * *

**_Whack!_**

Presea took another wolf down. She had the misfortune to appear next to a pack of wolves. They weren't the regular garden-variety of wolf, either. They were at least five feet tall at the shoulder, and they had a nasty attitude. She imagined even Regal would have difficulties with such large creatures. At least she could hold her own.

The pack leader whined its commands, and the pack swarmed around her. Three of its members lay dead and bleeding in the snow. The wolves kept a cyclic pattern around her, breath hot with anticipation. Presea didn't move a muscle, keeping her eyes narrowed solely on the leader. Perhaps if she dispatched it, she could deter the rest of the pack.

She yelled, "**Mass Devastation**!" Before the other wolves could anticipate her moves, she leapt up and slammed her axe into the lead wolf. The ground ripped upwards with her attack, snow and blood flying everywhere. She swung her axe up again and cleaved the head wolf in the skull. With reluctance, it staggered and fell before her feet.

The wolves yipped and howled in agony around her. Apparently, killing its leader hadn't served the purpose she had hoped for. They all regrouped and continued to circle her, their hides blocking out any escape. She narrowed her eyes, not afraid by their strength. Despite their size, they were just ravenous pack animals. They didn't exactly have the intelligence to figure this out on their own. She had her own plan, and it worked rather simply; kill, move, rinse, repeat.

She grumbled and moved to attack, "Who's next?" One wolf looked like it was volunteering itself for pain, licking its lips and preparing to charge at Presea. She raised her axe to deflect it and—

* * *

**_SPLAT!_**

Regal was at a loss for words. There was a gigantic mess on the frozen shoreline, ice cracked and mixing with thick, red blood. He knew it was a whale at some point, but it didn't look much like one now. It looked more like a gut-filled balloon had been dropped from the sky. It was an exploded mess of blubber and internal organs. The sight alone made him very ill.

He had been wandering around lost for a while when this thing popped up out of nowhere and violently died. It must have come up out of the water too fast. There were sharp glaciers in the gray ocean, and when it surfaced, it broke through them and landed on them. Needless to say, the final fifteen seconds of its life ended in a cacophony of squirting sounds, crunches, and pain. He didn't know how anything so large could have come up so fast and kill itself with its own power. Was it suicidal? The thought was foreign to Regal—he didn't have any sane logic for a whale killing itself. Perhaps Raine could have come up with something, but he couldn't.

He slowly moved towards the carcass, covering his mouth with his sleeve. The stench was horrible. Never the less, his curiosity was getting the better of him. He had to get past it and keep moving, anyway. He might as well try and figure out why it did that. Regal moved closer towards it, trying to avoid the carrion birds coming down from the sky. They had the same questions he did, but they were more concerned with breakfast.

That's when things took a turn for the bizarre. Regal watched as the whale shot back to life, obviously lacking some organs but otherwise alive. Its ruptured flesh was healing by the power of some strange, squirming parasites. Stranger yet, the whale opened its mouth and inhaled the birds pecking at it. The raptors had no place to run and were swallowed whole by its sheer power. That was weird enough for him.

He turned to leave when the whale addressed him, "Where are you going, human?"

Okay. It was officially time to run. Regal didn't respond to the whale, taking off as fast as possible. There are few people that can run as swiftly as a freaked out ex-convict, save for maybe a freaked out ninja. So, it was shocking when Regal's ankle got caught in something and he tripped. He reached down to free his leg when he noticed that it was some kind of fleshy appendage. Regal shuddered when he realized it was the whale's—

The whale sneered, "I've been dying to meet you!" and yanked the human ass-backwards.

* * *

"**AH!**"

This was Raine's worst nightmare. She hated anything to do with oceans, streams, or the like, and she abhorred swimming. So, finding herself in the middle of a frozen body of water was not her idea of fun. All she could think about was it cracking beneath her and hypothermia. That was all she needed to put a silver lining on her day.

She took a soft step to the left and felt the ice shift from beneath her. "Oh, not good. . ." she murmured, and tried moving to the right. There was the same shaving feeling underneath her feet. A part of her felt like curling into a ball and crying. She smashed that down as best as she could, then continued trying to find a way out.

Raine stepped to the north, where the ice was the most solid. She kept traveling that way until she felt the ice shift, then moved to the east. At least she was getting herself out of trouble. All she had to do was move very carefully and try not to get scared by the water underneath her. This had to be done with great and delicate—

". . .oh no."

She could have really used somebody right about then to catch her. The ice beneath her right foot cracked and gave way. She stumbled, but didn't fall completely through the ice. She yanked her foot out of the cold water and cursed herself. Now she could be facing frostbite. That was all she needed, especially now.

A second chunk of ice gave way. At least she didn't slip into it this time. But, the message was clear enough. Raine had to run away, as soon as possible. She gathered her courage and took off across the frozen body of water. She was actually making pretty good time. She could see something like a shoreline out in the distance. If she kept this speed up, she might make it there in two or three minutes.

She was considering how fortunate Zelos and Colette were to be Chosens and have wings when the water began to steam. She looked below her feet and saw an image misting into existence. There was a huge dark blotch several meters below, but its breath was hot enough to melt the ice. It shattered underneath her and pitched the half-elf into the water. Hydrophobia quickly set in, followed by panic over the fact that she couldn't swim. Then, there was another strange sensation. She felt surprisingly calm. What was this all about?

Raine glanced down one last time and wondered what that huge black spot was coming towards her before her mind gave way to the cold.

* * *

"Hey there, baby. How're you doing?"

Zelos never considered how fortuitous was. He was born into a very royal family, and before he would have had to sacrifice himself, he was freed from his Chosen status. He had ridiculously wonderful features and a brain to match it, when he cared to use it. Hell, he was rich as well! And chicks dug him! There was very little that he could complain about in life.

Right now, he wasn't complaining. While his teammates were falling prey to various traps and animals, he had the luck to run into her. Although she didn't exactly say anything, Zelos thought that she was totally into him. He didn't have any idea who she even was. Still, Zelos always was a sucker for a dame in a situation, and he didn't think it was exactly normal that a chick was running around in a snowstorm by herself. If it was Sheena, he might have expected that, but. . .

The woman simply smiled and waved slowly at the Chosen. She looked very pale, but Zelos wondered if that was because she was sick or something. Her hair was long, sleek, and dark, just like her eyes. This could have been Sheena, maybe in one of Zelos's wildest dreams. Well, he wasn't going to let this chick freeze to death out in the open. He might as well do the gentlemanly thing and find some shelter for her.

Zelos smiled and asked again, "So, baby, where do you come from?"

He got no response. He thought that was rather odd, so he tried again, "Ah, doll? Are you listening to me?"

The woman put one finger to her lips and made a shushing sound. Zelos shrugged and let it go, "Okay, okay. I'll be quiet."

So she didn't want to talk. That was okay with Zelos. He was happy to have the company, at least for a little while. He didn't think the woman could be very useful if they got into a fight. Her long, flowing white robes would only get tangled up in something. Glancing down at the hem of her skirt, Zelos noticed something unusual. She was leaving no footprints.

"Babe, I've really got ask about this. Are you a ninja or something?" Zelos was a little confused. Even Sheena left footprints, although hers were very light and tended to blend in with environmental refuse. The woman didn't respond to him, and instead sped up her pace. She seemed to get lost in the blasting gray storm.

Zelos growled, "Hey, wait up! Where are you going?" He shielded his eyes with one hand and charged after the woman. He kept grumbling to himself as he shuffled through the storm, barely keeping up with the crazy broad. To him, it seemed like the prettiest girls were always the craziest.

Like someone had yanked a curtain away from a window, the storm abruptly stopped. Zelos stood upright and tried to figure out what was going on. The woman was waiting for him, just standing out in the middle of nowhere. She was starting to get on his nerves. Zelos didn't like being dragged along through whatever people felt like throwing at him. He liked answers, and he needed some now.

"Listen, Chiquita. You can't keep dragging me around in circles," Zelos rebuked the woman, "You've gotta tell me right now what's going on, or, I'll—"

She cut him off when she grabbed the Chosen by his vest and pulled him into a very abrupt kiss. For the first nanosecond, Zelos was freaked out, but that quickly gave way to amusement. As far as crazy snow chicks went, this one was very hot. She had her entire bosom shoved into his chest in a soft yet intense embrace. Her mouth tasted a little bit like peppermint, and when she slid her tongue around his, he—

**_Thomp!_**

As soon Zelos realized he had collapsed, he became bewildered. What just happened? He tried to get up off the ground when his back locked up. His entire body felt numb, and his head began to spin. All his thoughts were instantly muddled by intense shock. His vision swirled like he was underwater. He reached up to beg for help, but the effort was too much. He lost consciousness in the snowdrift.

The woman softly whispered, "Good night," as her body began to rot away from its beautiful form and become infected with worms.

* * *

Sheena hated when people played tricks on her. Not only was it insulting to her ninja skills, it also hurt her emotionally. Having some freak pretend to be her friends and trick her was one of the worst things that anyone could do to her. So, she spared nothing as she attacked the Lloyd imposter. She slammed one of her seals into the creature and yelled, "Demon Seal!"

The creature blew apart in a burst of light and cackling demons. Sheena nearly threw up as she watched it fall to the ground. Small white worms burrowed out of its body and back into the permafrost. The body itself decayed to nothing and disappeared from where she had killed it. At least it died quickly. She was expecting a much greater fight from it, but she was happy to go with the easier route.

"I don't have time to waste," Sheena hurried herself on, "I've got to find everyone before they get into trouble."

It was already a little too late for that.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Um . . .**dun dun dun dun!** Kudos to my sister for helping me write out the Zelos scene. I'm just not good at the loving, if you know what I mean. Tell me to kill a hundred zombies, and you've got it. Tell me to write a kiss, and I'm a total n00b.

Keep in mind that the entire chapter is NOT in chronological order! It'll make sense next chapter . . .Mwa ha ha!

This chapter was brought to you by the letter W. I take a lot of inspiration from Douglas Adams, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Eastman & Laird; what can I say? (Although, arguably, we could also include Joss **W**hedon in the conversation. Get it? **W**?) I even thought about naming the chapter The Warg, The Whale, and The Worm, but I couldn't think of a W word for Colette's scene. The wyvern, maybe? Just no clue for her.

Let's see. . . something inspirational? . . .

"Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was Oh no, not again. Many people have speculated that if we knew exactly why the bowl of petunias had thought that we would know a lot more about the nature of the Universe than we do now."

. . .yeah. Go think about that for a while, after you review of course. :D


	11. Freezer Burn

**Chapter Eleven: Freezer Burn**

Genis decided that he couldn't get any more information from hanging around in a tree, so he climbed down and tried to think of a new idea. Celsius' plan for having them run into each other was just stupid. The only way he thought anything could be done was by a systematic process, so he came up with one. He could see mountains to his left and a beach to his right, although there were several miles in between. So, he'd just have to comb the area until he came up with something.

He was on his third pace between the two landmarks, but hadn't come into contact with anything or anyone yet. That made him frantic. What if his plan didn't work? Some of his friends—his sister, even—could have died. Colette didn't always travel on foot, so if she was out flying, then he wasn't going to find her. They might have gone hiding in caves or other places that he didn't look in. This just wasn't working well for him.

Stepping across the plains, he noticed that the storm was starting to pick up. It was windy, and small bits of snow stung like shrapnel. He put one arm over his face to shield himself. Nothing was deterring him now! He just had to keep moving and hope to find something. There had to be someone, somewhere, somehow. . .His mind drifted as he wondered if there was such a word as somewhich or somewhen or even—

**Clunk!**

"Ow! Hey, lady! Would you keep moving?" Genis grumbled at the stooped figure he ran into. Then his mind clicked; he just ran into somebody! Horror came next, mostly because he didn't know the strange woman. He took a moment to gather himself, and then prepared for any retaliation from her.

Genis growled, "Hey, what are you looking at? Yeah, I'm half-elf, but what's it to you?" That's when he noticed that she wasn't exactly a human either. He yelped when she turned to him and he caught a look at her face. Her flesh was rotting away, with only glowing lights for eyes. There were strange worms all over her body, just sewing her back together like she was a rag doll. That was enough to freak Genis out.

The half elf turned to run away when he tripped over something and stumbled. He glanced at it, expecting to see a log or something like that, when he found Zelos lying on the ground in a stupor. He had the strange eerie glow in his eyes, but it looked more like he was hypnotized than anything else. It looked enough like him, anyway—there weren't any weird things growing on him like that lady.

Zelos only confirmed his identity when he mumbled, "Heeeeeey, Genis. Where's dat fine sista of yous?" Well, he sounded like he had a concussion, but it was good enough for Genis.

"Come on, you idiot! We've got to run!" Genis got off the ground and yanked on the Chosen's arm. He wasn't much for moving, so the half-elf only pulled him a couple inches. Apparently, whatever that woman had done to him was pretty serious.

"Waz da rush? Weeeeee could make . . .snow angels!" Zelos slurred. He then flapped his arms and legs like a drunk. The splashes of snow seemed to irritate the undead lady. She hissed at duo and ran off. Apparently, she didn't want to deal with them anymore. Even if she had the ability to stun both of them, it would be too much trouble to take care of them. A zombie was only as strong as boiled ramen, anyway.

Genis sighed as the woman disappeared in the snow flurries. Now he could get back to looking for everybody. He bent down to help Zelos up, "Come on, you idiot. We've got to move."

"Do we reeeaaally?" Zelos asked, still swaggering like a drunken pirate as he stood up, "We could have uselves a snowball fight."

Genis rolled his eyes in disgust and shoved the Chosen in the snow. He'd have to knock some sense back into him before they could continue.

* * *

Lloyd hated giving up a fight, but this was one of those times where he had to run. It wasn't that he didn't like pounding on a gigantic Sliver monster, but he couldn't waste any more time with it. Besides, if it was just going to keep healing itself, there was a chance that it'd kill Lloyd before he could do it in. In one of the wisest moves of his life, Lloyd decided to make a run for it. There wasn't much more he could do.

Unfortunately, the worm was just about as fast as the swordsman. It kept barreling behind him as he ran through the snowstorm. He could feel it every time the worm popped up from the ground, snow and dirt flying everywhere. He panted as he ran, hot despite the weather. He didn't know if he'd ever outrun that thing, but he was willing to give it a shot.

The gigantic worm burst up way too close to him. Lloyd slashed at it, hoping the monster would get the picture. It disappeared underground, but came up around him. Lloyd hollered as he got out of its way before it crashed where he used to be. He was just too lucky to dodge that one. He was about to count his lucky stars when the worm slammed out of the ground and tried to attack him again.

"Aggh! Would you leave me alone?" Lloyd yelled at the monster. He took a swipe at it and kept moving backwards. He managed to rake some of its teeth out, but that didn't slow it down. He was starting to get panicked, but he didn't let it show. Sometimes, it helped him to think of what his father would do in these situations.

As Lloyd stepped back, he realized that there was no way that Kratos would have ever had this problem. His foot went straight through empty air, and he tumbled backwards. He fell into one of the holes that monster made from tunneling. He fell for a few meters, then slammed his sword into the dirt. He caught himself before he fell too far and planned to work his way back out.

The monster hovered over the hole, watching the boy struggle in vain below. Lloyd looked up and noticed that it was just waiting for him to come up so it could devour him. He was going to pass up on that fun idea. Still, it was a long way down as well. . .

"What the hell," Lloyd shrugged, and yanked his swords out of the wall. He skidded a few meters before landing at the bottom of the hole. There was quite the tunnel down here, but there was a light at the other side. He could run through it and pop up before that stupid monster could get him.

He turned to make a face at the monster when he noticed it was gone. His skin prickled with goose bumps, but he remained calm. A part of him hoped that the Sliver beast had left him after he went down the hole. His more cynical side knew that something else had to be wrong. What was he missing? What was the one thing Lloyd didn't expect?

Moving back into the tunnel, he realized what was wrong. The monster had made this hole, and it could certainly fit back in it. Lloyd saw the monster's sucker-like face as it came at him from the other side. He looked back up the hole and decided to make a leap for it. He made it up a few feet before the worm smashed into where he was once standing. The dirt and snow shook from the monster's impact. Lloyd couldn't hold on, and was tossed back into the abyss. His swords managed to keep lodged into the side, which left Lloyd without a weapon.

As he turned to get up, Lloyd realized this, "Oh, crap."

* * *

There were many things in life that Raine didn't believe could be real. For example, she certainly didn't think there were any unicorns left in the world, but one did show up in Sylvarant. She didn't consider the possibility that the Martel religion was all but a cover for an evil underground society, but it was true. She never believed she would be accepted as a half-elf, but there were some people she knew that completely overlooked her species and just liked/hated her for being her. But of all the things she couldn't believe, this one was just beyond comprehension.

It was dark. It was squishy. It was hot. And, it was all around her. That huge dark spot had been something living, and it just came up to her and—

"Oh, hell," a soft curse escaped her. She was in some digestive organ inside some kind of animal, and she didn't think that was a good spot for a half-elf to be in. She paced nervously for a moment, trying to estimate how much time she had until she'd die. Assuming there was enough oxygen to last her until acid started leaking in to break her down, she had maybe an hour or two. But how long had it been since she blacked out?

Raine babbled to herself, "Calm down. This is an unusual circumstance, but you can think of a way out." She kept walking around the stomach, her feet sinking with each step, "You could agitate it and get it to vomit. Or, maybe you can damage one of the seals to the esophagus or the intestines and get out that way. Unless this monster is like a cow, in which case I'd have four digestive organs to get through before that . . ."

There was a terrible feeling of dread Raine had. She sat down and tried not to give into despair, "Keep yourself together, otherwise you're going to suffer a very long and painful death. What would your friends say if they heard you like this?"

"Nngh."

"That's right, they'd say—wait a second," Raine's tangent came to an abrupt halt. There was some else here. She hollered, "Who's there?"

The response came from beneath her, "Not so loud." She shrieked and jumped away from the sound. Sure enough, there was Regal. Her feeling of despair melted into one of guilt. She didn't even see him lying there! Thinking about that for a moment, it made sense. It must have been part of Celsius' test.

Raine apologized, "Sorry, I didn't know you were here too."

"It's all right. No harm done," Regal got off the ground and tried to regain his composure. His brain felt like there were tiny hammers smacking it around. He put one hand on his head and sighed, "I must have hurt my head when that whale swallowed me."

Raine's eyes widened, "A . . .whale?" Well, at least she knew what she was dealing with. She shook off the shock she got and continued, "I guess that must have been what happened to me too. I was about to drown when this huge black spot came up beneath me. It must have been feeding, and I got in the way."

Regal swayed for a moment, then asked, "When you saw it. . .was it. . .dead?"

"Dead?" Raine scoffed the idea, "If it was dead, then we wouldn't be in this situation. How hard did you hit your head, anyway?"

"When I first saw it, it was deceased. It was in pieces, all over the shoreline. Then, it started to heal, and before I could get away, it . . ." Regal began explaining what happened to him when he stopped, "I suppose it does sound ridiculous."

Raine didn't comment on that. She crossed her arms and smiled, "Whatever happened. . . I guess it doesn't matter too much. I like knowing at least one of my friends is still alive."

Both stood in silence for a moment, then drifted their attention back to their situation. The walls of the organ shuddered, like they were preparing for something to happen. Raine frowned, "It's going to digest us soon if we don't get out of here. Would you mind—"

"Let me guess. The Welgaia tactic?" Regal finished her thought, "I do have some objections since this is somewhat of a living creature, but—"

Raine interrupted him back, "Just do it."

Regal accepted her orders and turned to one of the walls of the stomach. He started charging light mana at the ends of his fingertips and shouted a warning, "I hope you've learned how to swim."

That was the one part of her plan Raine forgot, "Oh, wait just a—"

**BOOM!**

* * *

Colette swerved out of the way just in time. A strange white light just blasted up past her from below. What could that have been? She didn't put too much thought into it and kept flying. It was important she got back onto the mainland, anyway. Fighting monsters in the sky just wasn't all that much fun. She flew a few more miles to the north, and then decided to land on the ground.

Snow flew up in the air as she began to descend. Colette landed with a gentle puff on the ground. She took the time to dust off her robes, then looked all around her. There wasn't anything she could see offhand that would be useful, so she decided to pick a random direction and march that way for a while. If she got tired, she'd start flying again. Besides, a little footwork never hurt anyone.

Colette began hopping around in the snow, "One, two, three! . . .oh, I guess it'd work better if there were lines." She laughed at her silliness, "Hopscotch doesn't work well without a court."

Pouncing around in the snow, she noticed something unusual. There were footprints and trails, all leading to the northeast. They looked like Noishe's prints, but Colette knew the Arshis wasn't here. She thought about what they might be. She wasn't too well versed on tracking, but she figured they had to be doglike or maybe lupine. It couldn't hurt to follow the trail.

"Okay, Poochie, I'm going to find you," Colette murmured to herself. As she walked along the trail, she looked behind her and saw that there wasn't any snow around her. The flames on her wings were melting the snowflakes around her. It would keep her vision clear, at least. On the downside, she could be spotted as well. Colette tried not to think about negatives too much.

She traveled a few more miles without incident. The weather was picking up around her, but she didn't mind it. It was an abysmal gray out, and it got harder to see beyond the field her wings gave her. Still, she wasn't going to give into failure. That wasn't her way.

Colette didn't like being alone this long, though. She liked her friends too much, and the thought of them all stranded and alone in the shivering cold didn't settle well with her. She steeled herself, "Well, you're going to have to be strong for them. They need you!"

In the middle of her pep rally, she ran into something. She stumbled into the object and fell flat in the snow. With an embarrassed jerk, she jumped back up to her feet and exclaimed, "Oh my! You're a mean doggie, aren't you?"

As usual, Colette was understating it. She wasn't afraid of any canine, even if it was a little bigger than her and a lot meaner. It had a feral look in its eyes. Gray shaggy fur was ripped out in places, its teeth shining with slobber running down it. Somehow, 'mean doggie' just didn't make a proper description for it.

Luckily, Colette had some help, "Colette? Are you okay?"

The Chosen was a little startled by that voice. She finally recognized who it was and smiled, "Presea? Are you here? Where are you?"

"I'm right next to you. . .I think. I can't see you," a calm voice responded.

"That's all right. Just stay still, and I'll find you!" Colette truly was fearless. She walked around with her hands out and tried to feel for Presea, even with an imminent threat from the giant wolf. Instead of finding the pink-haired girl, she tripped onto another wolf. She frowned and asked, "How many of these are there?"

Presea told her, "Not many. I eliminated most of them. Just get rid of the ones that you can see!"

That wasn't a problem for Colette. Her wings exploded with fury as she drew her chakrams. The bright burst of light was enough to frighten the two large wolves. They howled in fright, then turned tail and ran off into the distance. Colette was surprised that it didn't take more than that, but in the same token was very thankful. At least nobody got hurt.

"They're gone. How are you doing, Presea?" Colette asked. She stepped to the right and tripped over the girl's axe. With another stroke of fortune, she looked up and saw Presea standing next to her. She was a little bloody from combat, but was otherwise all right.

Presea smiled, "I'm fine. I wouldn't recommend trying to find more wolves, however."

"Why not? Did you scare them all off—", Colette started, but stopped when she stepped in the guts of a downed wolf. She looked down and paused with confusion. Presea shook her head and plugged her ears. Colette was a fighter, yes, but she wasn't that familiar with gore. It would only be a few seconds, and then—

"**KYAA!**"

. . .Presea waited for a second, and then asked, "Better?"

"Yeah," Colette blushed, "I'm ready to move on."

* * *

Sheena wondered if the snow would ever stop. After following the bear traps as far as they went, she had to give up and start looking for new clues. She was feeling tired and achy. If she didn't find somebody soon, then she would switch her priorities to finding shelter. She was used to living in very comfortable weather; she didn't have enough body fat to keep herself warm for long.

"I wish I knew your guys were all right," Sheena murmured to nobody. But, it was the truth. She felt so lonely without them. Colette's attitude could keep anybody happy long enough for good things to happen. Genis had the ability to cast fire spells whenever they needed it for warmth. Raine could have treated her for frostbite, at the very least. Presea would have had the strength to drag them through the depths of hell frozen over and back. Regal had a relaxing aura about him, and he would have kept her calm through the storm. Lloyd would have gone naked through the cold just to make sure she was warm enough. Zelos would have just gone naked for the hell of it.

She confided to the cold, ". . .I miss you all."

A splash of light interrupted her gloomy thoughts. Sheena had seen that portal before. She stopped to watch a thin fox-like creature step out and shake itself off in the snow. She smiled and crossed her arms. It was Verius. He always seemed to show up at the best of times.

"_Well, it appears you're still alive. That is good_," Verius greeted her. He was as callous as usual.

Sheena still tried to be nice with him, "Yeah. I was getting sick of doing this alone. It's good to see you."

Verius took a look around and analyzed, "_Hmm. Snowy, cold. . .this must be Celsius' test, correct_?" He smirked at the summoner, "_I suppose you'd like me to lead you to your friends_."

"Not if it's going to forfeit Lloyd getting his powers," Sheena stopped Verius. She paced in the snow for a moment, then sighed, "But I do like seeing you again. How's Grandpa doing?"

Verius hesitated to answer that question. Sheena didn't like the looks of that. He noticed he was stalling too long and quickly said, "_He's fine. He's much craftier than I expected._"

Sheena smiled, "Good. He's just got to hold out until I get home."

Verius nodded, but didn't respond to that comment. Sheena thought he looked sad for some reason. It wasn't weird for the kitsune to be sober, but there was something seriously wrong with him. He had a look of dread on his face. What wasn't he telling her?

". . .is there something wrong, Verius?" Sheena finally asked.

Verius didn't say anything, not at first. He stared at gusts of wind in the air, hoping to catch sight of something else and distract her. But, there wasn't anything out there. He finally gave up, "_Have you considered the costs of coming back to your homeworld_?"

Sheena was taken aback by his statement, "Well . . .no." What did he mean by that?

Verius laughed, but kept his humor to himself. Sheena hated that when other people were being sneaky around her. There was nothing worse than taunting a ninja with information like a dog with a treat. Still, Verius was in no mood to explain what he meant by that to Sheena. He smirked, "_It's just good to know you want to get back home_."

"Yeah," Sheena agreed, and then let her thoughts run wild. With a powerful creature like Verius around, she might as well get some use out of him. She asked, "Hey, Verius? Could you do me a favor?"

Verius replied, "_That all depends_." Sheena wasn't surprised by that; he was being as flat-toned as ever.

"Well, I was just wondering . . .could you tell me how my friends are doing?" Sheena mustered up some courage, and then made her request.

Verius paused in their trot. He closed his eyes to think for a moment and sat down. While he was focusing his power, the bells around his neck began to jingle softly in the wind. The storm was increasing its tempo. After a few moments of intense concentration, he got up and started walking again. No storm could have bothered him.

"_I've gathered some information from the wind_," Verius explained, "_It seems they are all alive_."

Sheena was thrilled to hear that, "Great. Know anything else?"

Verius lifted one brow, "_I think you'd do better if I didn't tell you what dangers they are facing_."

". . .oh," Sheena felt gypped out of information, but she didn't know what else she needed. She was hoping for something more than how their health was. In the same token, she didn't want to risk messing up her test. She'd just have to hold out until she found them. At least she had Verius to protect her, for as long as he felt like.

Verius noticed how disappointed the summoner was. He taunted her, "_If it makes you feel any better, Zelos was almost turned into a zombie by a sorceress kissing him. In fact, he was saved by Genis running into her before she finished her spell_."

Sheena laughed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right."

"_No, it's true_," Verius argued, "_Presea and Colette fought off some wolves earlier, and Colette scared them away simply by flying_."

"Bull," Sheena still didn't believe him.

Verius frowned, "_I'm serious! Worse off, Raine and Regal were devoured by a whale, but then they blew it open and now are swimming for their lives. You might not believe me, but that's the second time that whale has died today alone_."

Sheena couldn't begin to fathom what Verius was thinking, "Okay, not even Lloyd would have believed that."

The kitsune fell very quiet. Finally, he whispered, "_But Lloyd's in the worst trouble of all_ . . ."

The way he said that hit Sheena in a funny way. It was much quieter and slower than he had ever spoken to her. It was almost like he was gossiping with an invisible snow hare. She bit her lip and tried to understand why he was so afraid to talk to her about Lloyd. She never knew Verius to be cowed, not even when he was her summon spirit in another life.

"Okay," Sheena nodded, "Now I believe you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Okay, I hope this chapter was a little less insane than the last one. (But I do love my crazy chapters!) I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've got a good excuse. I got a PS2.

. . .okay, so that's a really crappy excuse. But I can't resist the lure of Tales of Legendia. Hot damn! Senel Coolidge has got to be one of the best Tales leads, ever. Moses, Norma, and Grune are pretty funny, too. Definitely a game you don't want to miss. (Plus, it reminds me of the musical Streetcar – **STELLA!**)

In fact, I'm probably going to pick up the PS2 version of Tales of Symphonia and get a way to play it. I hear there are discs available now so I don't have to solder stuff into the system. That'd be hot (or not, lol.)

. . .I'm done ranting. Proceed with the review-age! (**ALICIA!** Okay, now I'll stop.)


	12. Sublimation

**Chapter Twelve: Sublimation**

Genis and Zelos had no idea where they were going. The half-elf kept making his zig-zag pattern across the ice plains in hopes of finding somebody, but he hadn't had any more luck. There were a few monsters here and there that popped up, but they'd taken them down with relative ease. Zelos wasn't as screwy anymore, but his head hurt. After running into that witch, he was glad to have anybody but her around. At least Genis was good with dishing out pain. He could protect the little guy long enough for him to blast enemies into submission.

Still, both of them would have liked to be with somebody else. Genis would have liked to see his sister or Presea. Zelos was happy to be with anyone with an extra X chromosome. Talking wasn't going so well between the two of them, either. They were mostly stomping their way through the grey storm, trying to ignore the freezing temperatures. They had to hope that they'd find somebody else.

". . .so, what do you think your sister's up to?" Zelos asked.

Genis shrugged, "I don't know. Best case scenario, she's running around collecting artifacts and specimens."

Zelos laughed, "Yeah, she's a regular tomb raider. But, she's hot like that."

Genis made a fist with his hand and shook it at Zelos, "Don't say my sister's hot!"

"Fine then!" Zelos crossed his arms, "She's foxy."

"She is not foxy either!" Genis yelled at the Chosen. Now he remembered why he didn't like spending time with him, "If you're not going to talk about her like a normal person, I'll leave you behind!"

Zelos relented, "Fine, kid. I was just joking, you know." He shivered a little bit, so he tried rubbing his arms to warm up. It wasn't working well, so he continued talking, "I just need to keep my mind off the cold."

"I could fix that. One quick Eruption spell will cure it," Genis snickered. Zelos made a face at Genis and then gave up on talking. He could tell that it was going to be a very long time until he got to talk with somebody else. He just had to put up with the kid until that time.

There was a break in the boring scenery. Genis had led them to a small beach. It wasn't pretty, but it was a change from the dull grassy plains and the mountains. They both stopped at a small cliff, staring out across the tepid ocean and the dead sky. This place couldn't look more lifeless if it tried—or didn't. Death had a funny thing about not doing much.

Zelos turned to continue on when there was a strange sound. At first, he thought it was like a balloon popping, but it was much too low for that to be it. It was almost like a bubble, albeit a much louder and more violent bubble. He stared across the ocean and saw a huge splash, but not much else. If a meteor just landed in it, he missed it. What else could have made an explosion that big?

". . .what was that about?" Genis asked.

Zelos didn't know, "Ah. . .no clue. Maybe there was an underwater volcano that went off or something."

"This close to the shore? I guess it's possible, but it doesn't sound right," Genis went off on a long spiel, "Volcanoes usually happen as a result of vents in the crust of a planet. They can create islands, but if this was an island, the volcano would most likely be in the center, not on the—"

**_SPLAT!_**

Something knocked both of them backwards and onto the ground. It felt like someone slapped them with a huge piece of rubber. Zelos was the first to get his senses back. He shoved the slab of whatever off them and stood up. There was nothing he hated more than an unexpected and disgusting surprise. He just got both.

"What the hell?" Zelos yelled, "Genis, what in the world is that?"

Genis grimaced, and then he guessed, ". . .blubber?"

"From what? A whale? Whales don't go around exploding!" Zelos didn't like the sound of that.

Of course, what he heard next wasn't pleasant either, "**You miserable fiends! Get back in my belly, now!**" Both looked out to see a giant bloody whale chasing after splashes in the water. There was no way anything could out swim it, but whatever it was sure was trying to.

They were both at a loss for words. Finally, Genis gave up, "We should probably do something about this."

* * *

"—and that's why I like dogs better than cats," Colette finished her speech.

Well, it was something to talk about, at least. Presea and Colette spent their time talking while they were searching for their friends. Colette talked more than Presea did, but she knew her friend was listening to her the whole time. They chatted about little things—how the hunt to destroy the exspheres was going, what it was like back in their hometowns, boys, hobbies, stuff like that. It sounded like Colette was leading an interesting life on the road with Lloyd. Sometimes Presea missed the thrill of adventure, but she could always find trouble when she was bored. Or, rather, it'd find her.

Like now, come to think of it.

"So," Colette continued, "let's see. . .oh, I know! How's Genis been doing?"

"I really don't know. This occasion was the first time I've seen him in a little while," Presea told her.

Colette sighed, "That's too bad. We really ought to get together more often. Maybe we can plan a picnic or something!"

Presea smiled, "That would be a good idea."

She would have kept talking, but something distracted her. There were new tracks in the snow. While Colette was off in her own little world, she stopped and tried to analyze them. One set of tracks looked like dog pints, but the other was more like a human. It was a slender track, but longer than Presea's feet. She guessed whoever made these prints was probably female and bigger than her. That didn't help her much, but it was a start.

"What are you looking at, Presea?" Colette realized she'd lost her companion. She came back and glanced at the snow, "Are those more tracks?"

She nodded, "Looks like it."

Colette shuddered, "And more doggy tracks? Do you think whoever this is might be traveling with those big wolves?"

"It's a possibility," Presea shrugged, "Let's follow them."

The girl ran off before her friend figured out what see was doing. With a puff of mana, Colette flew after Presea. She was a fast runner, something she didn't expect. After all, Presea did carry those heavy axes all the time. Even if she could carry it, Colette thought some of them would slow her down.

Presea commented, "I don't understand. It's like these tracks are going around in—"

**_SMACK!_**

". . .circles," she finished, then fell backwards into the snow. Somebody else crashed as well. Both shook the snow from their clothing and looked at each other. They both sighed in relief as they realized it wasn't an enemy.

"Presea?" Colette asked, "Who did you find?"

The girl placed her hands on both her friends' shoulders. Finally, they could see each other. Colette bounced up and down with joy, "Sheena! You're okay!"

The ninja nodded, "I'm glad it was you two following me and not somebody else.

"_I told you we should be covering our tracks,_" a voice grumbled next to them. Both Colette and Presea reached out to see who that was. They were both surprised to find Verius with Sheena.

Sheena got them back on track, "So, did you find anyone else yet?"

Colette shook her head, "Nope."

"_That's peculiar. I was certain that one of you would have found somebody else_," Verius pondered. He shook some of the snow out of his fur, but it wasn't very helpful. The snow was still coming down pretty hard.

Presea commented, "In a way, we did. We stumbled across each other."

Verius kept silent as they walked a little further. Finally, he smiled, "_I guess you did_."

"I suppose we need to think of a plan now," Sheena shook her head, "Do you guys have any ideas?"

They both shook their heads. Sheena knew they couldn't come up with something that fast—she couldn't think of a solution either. It seemed like they had to result to their normal randomness. She did feel better that she had some additional help, but she couldn't shake off the frightful feeling she had. Verius mentioned something about Lloyd earlier . . .maybe that should be her priority. It'd be too hard to search for just one person, though.

Sheena took the lead, "Well, okay. Let's go find somebody."

. . .it wasn't the best plan ever, but it'd have to do.

* * *

"Swim faster, damn it!"

Regal couldn't exactly blame Raine for her nervousness; she had a little hydrophobia, after all. Still, he didn't think that he could do that right now. The professor was clinging to his neck as he swam towards the shore through numbingly-cold water. There was an undead whale chasing both of them, and it had a lot more experience, speed, and skill at swimming than he did. He surfaced for a quick gasp of air, then shot back into the icy sea. That's all he could hope for, right now—he had to keep moving.

Raine glanced over her shoulder and saw the whale coming at them. With a fierce snarl, she whipped her staff out and started charging mana in it. It was difficult to aim with only one hand and underwater. That didn't deter her much. Despite all the fears running around in her head, she managed to push them aside and cast, "Ray!"

A bright beam of light shot out of her staff and smacked the whale in the maw. Blood spurted, but the wounds were quickly healed up by strange white worms in its mouth. Raine couldn't believe that this thing was so determined to kill them. Most whales were benevolent. This was crazy!

"Hold on!" Regal bubbled under the water, and then flailed with the remainder of his strength. He breached the surface of the ocean and landed haphazardly on a slushy chunk of ice. Both of them skittered off the frozen area as fast as possible. They landed with an ungraceful collapse on the shore.

Raine wanted to take a moment to recover, but there was no time. She shook off her pain and faced the beast charging at them from the ocean. It didn't seem to care that it was running out of water. The gigantic whale smashed itself against the shoreline and injured itself once more. That wound quickly healed up as well, much to their chagrin.

Regal panted, "I hope you have some kind of a plan."

"Sure. I've got a great one," Raine nodded. She checked behind her and then yelled, "Run!"

They scrambled from the beach and started running north. The whale wasn't too concerned about that. It unbeached itself from the shore and began pursuing the half-elf and the human. Regal shook his head, not believing what was going on. That monster was going to catch up to them and attack again. The running plan wasn't going so well.

"I think we need to consider a retreat further inland," Regal suggested.

Raine shook her head, "Over those?" She finally pointed out the high and jagged cliffs that poked their way around the shore. With some regret, she said, "I can't climb, and I don't think you've got the stamina to do that after the maniac swimming marathon."

Regal sighed, ". . .we're done for, in other words?"

"Yeah," Raine laughed in her shock. This was just icing on the cake. Not only was she missing her brother and about to faint, but she was going to be devoured. Again. She wasn't so sure if they could stage a second escape.

Luckily, fate gave them a break. Somebody yelled, "Zelos, now!" After that, two voices hollered, "Eruption!" Twin explosions went off on the whale's head. It freaked the whale out. Raine and Regal would have taken the time to think of a new plan, but they were stunned. Where did that come from?

"Genis?" Raine called out, "Are you there?"

A small voice answered back, "Just stay there and keep talking. We'll find you." Raine could hear people walking in the wet sand, but she couldn't see them. Finally, she saw sets of footprint coming towards her. She was uncertain if it was really her brother and the Chosen, but she didn't run.

Finally, somebody reached out and touched her hand. There was a ripple of mana, and then Genis was visible. He threw his arms around her, "Raine! I was so worried!"

"It's okay, Genis," Raine hugged her brother back, but then stopped, "Wait. We've got a serious problem on our hands."

Zelos laughed, "We know. We saw the big damn whale after it exploded." He came into visibility as he grabbed both Raine and Regal by their shoulders. With a smirk, he asked, "What did you guys do to it, and why isn't it dead?"

Regal made a gesture with his hands, "I was desperate."

"Oh, so you blew it up. Great job," Zelos snickered, "I'm just curious, but. . .ah, wouldn't that usually kill something?"

"It automatically regenerates its injuries. It's got these little worms that heal itself. Explosions don't even kill it," Raine shook her head, "I don't know what to do."

Genis turned to study the whale for a moment. It was done shaking off its pain from the fire spells. As it started turning around and coming after him, he finally got an idea. He gave a quick order, "Okay! Guys, protect me for a second!"

Raine, Regal, and Zelos flanked Genis and prepared for the worst. The whale seemed eager to get another chance to devour them. It opened its mouth, shattered baleen teeth shooting out in odd angles. It was like this thing had been undead so long that it started healing incorrectly. A long red tongue-like appendage shot out of its mouth and made its way towards them. Zelos almost freaked out as it came straight for him.

Then, Genis finally cast, "Indignation!"

**_CRASH!_**A gigantic bolt of lightning materialized out of the grey clouds. It hit the whale straight in the head and traveled throughout its body. The entire ocean conducted its power and amplified it. Its tongue stopped inches from ensnaring Zelos and fell limply into the sand. Finally, the whale ceased to come at them. It just rolled lifelessly in the surf and beached itself.

Regal gasped, ". . .is it. . ."

"Dead. That's it. The kid did it," Zelos was shell-shocked. Then, he shook off his fear, "Genis! You did it! Awesome!"

The half-elf smirked, "I thought you only praised girls."

"Shut up. I'm trying to give you a compliment for once in your life," Zelos growled.

Raine was still in disbelief, ". . .How did you do that?"

Genis explained, "Well, you guys told me that explosions didn't seem to kill it. I thought maybe if I had a way to kill the worms and the whale all at once, it wouldn't regenerate itself. And, although water in its purest form doesn't conduct electricity, ocean water has minerals in it that will conduct it. So, I just fried the whole thing with the biggest electric spell I had."

All three of them were stunned. Regal thought about that and then murmured, "So, if you wouldn't have seen the whale—"

"—we would have probably been killed," Raine agreed, "I don't have any lightning spells, and you don't have that kind of mana power, so yes. We would have died."

Regal let that sink into his brain. He smiled, "How did you two find us, anyway?"

"Oh, that's easy to explain," Zelos crossed his arms and smirked, "When you blew the whale open, we were hit by blubber."

"Although we were on the cliffs," Genis interrupted. He looked up and asked, "Erm. . .how did that hit us, anyway? I don't think even you could make an explosion that big with just your hands."

None of them had an answer for that. Zelos finally got them back on track, "Ugh, let's just get moving. The whale corpse is starting to reek." He grabbed Raine's cloak and smelled it, "And you guys stink like whale too. Gross."

"You know how the saying goes," Raine grabbed the edge of her cloak back from Zelos and started moving, "If it smells bad on the outside . . ."

* * *

It's worse on the inside. No one knew that better than Lloyd.

He came to with a dull throbbing in the back of his head. His teeth felt like they weren't attached to his mouth, just sort of floating in his gums. There was a moment of relapse, and then he remembered what had happened to him. That giant worm creature was coming for him. It was inches away from his head. But, now . . .

"Yes. This is a problem."

Lloyd jerked his head up. It was a woman's voice, but it was very odd. It seemed like it lacked something—maybe it wasn't human. In a way, it sounded like a controlled gust of wind. He tried to find the source of the voice, but he couldn't see very far. His vision was fuzzy, and he couldn't see anything. Wherever he was, it was pitch black.

He struggled to get up, but he realized a second problem. He was upside down. The movement sent blood flowing into his head, and that made him dizzy. Laying back in defeat, Lloyd tried to feel for his swords. He could feel the swords' hilts strapped into sheathes, but he didn't know how proficient he was at using them in the dark. He'd have to leave them in there, at least until he could see what was going on. Then he'd revert to his slash-bang-kill method.

The ghostly voice echoed, "Dead? How unlikely." There was a pause, and then it said, "You do not lie. How bothersome. I hate intruders."

It was then that Lloyd got his first look at the woman. She had hollow eyes and pale skin, almost translucent. She didn't move normally at all—it was like she was floating in the air. He thought maybe she was a ghost. Of course, it didn't look right that she was glowing an eerie light blue color. Still, Lloyd couldn't help staring at her. She was a very strange and oddly beautiful person. Why would he be here with her?

"Uhh . . ." Lloyd asked, "Do you need help?"

"The Source says that your friends decimated a large fortress of theirs," the woman ignored his question, "Is this true?"

"Fortress? What are you talking about?" Lloyd struggled to main eye contact as he hung from the cavern wall.

The lady growled, "The Ship. They destroyed The Ship."

"The Ship? What the heck is The Ship?" Lloyd couldn't believe what was going on. Maybe this was just some weird fantasy he was having as he was actually dying in a worm's gut.

"It's an aquatic environment where The Spawn are raised. It consumes materials for them and they use it for construction," the lady was getting impatient, "Now, did they or not?"

Lloyd yelled, "You're nuts! I don't know anything about what you are talking about! Now, let me go find Sheena and my—"

The lady shut him up by putting one hand over his mouth. She hissed, "Enough. It seems that I'll have to board The Source and lead The Spawn. You'll be coming with me."

Before Lloyd got an explanation for that, the woman started to decompose. Worms seeped out of her body and started wrapping around his. He struggled to reach for his swords, but they swarmed over his head before he could see what he was doing. They cocooned him in their own bodies and began to fuse, trapping the swordsman inside their collective. He felt an intense wave of claustrophobia, and then numbness. Lloyd blacked out, unable to fight the sudden exhaustion he felt.

The woman ordered the darkness, "We move."

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, there you go. Your daily dosage of freak-outs has been filled!

Uh . . .I've got nothing. Beat Final Fantasy X. Compared to the Tales series, I found it very easy. Sad to say, I've spent more time on I and VI than on X. That's right—I'm so old school, I've got a copy of the original Final Fantasy. And a Commodore 64. It's not Pong, but hey . . .pretty good, no?

So, see you later! Honk if your hor—nevermind.


	13. Chill Out

**Chapter Thirteen: Chill Out**

It was starting to get dark out. That wasn't the part that concerned Sheena. The temperatures were dropping, and winds were picking up across the plains. The air swirled in the bowl formed by the mountains around them. Snow stuck to their faces and clothes, evaporating with soft hisses as they hit Colette's wings. Even Verius was struggling against the snowstorm, flakes plastered into his soft fur. They were going to have to find shelter.

"I'm worried about the others," Colette murmured, "Shouldn't we have found them by now?"

Sheena rubbed her arms, "I don't know. I hope they're doing better than we are."

"_Oh, don't be ridiculous_," Verius scolded the group of girls. He shook his fur off, but the winds blew more back onto him. He grimaced and sighed, "_You're almost done with this test. You don't know it yet_."

That made Presea curious, "Do you know how the others are doing?"

Verius grinned in a way only a fox could, "_Yes. But I'm not telling you_."

"That's not fair," Sheena sighed, "But whatever. As long as we find them and they're in one piece, that's all that—"

"**AGGH!**"

Someone who was screaming seconds ago ran straight into the ninja. They fell backwards into the snow, landing in a puff of flakes. Sheena flinched as she opened her eyes. The person who ran into her beamed with a foxy grin, red hair trailing down his shoulders. That made Sheena snarl, and she shoved him off her. No matter what circumstances happened, Sheena didn't ever let Zelos touch her body.

Sheena growled, "Geez, Zelos. You think you could watch where you were going?"

The Chosen was ecstatic to find Sheena. He threw his arms around her shoulders and waxed sentimentally, "Oh, Sheena! You're alive! I was worried about you, you know?" She pushed his arms back off her and stood up. She wasn't in the mood to put up with him.

Presea noticed the other tracks in the snow, "Who's with you, Zelos?"

One of the tracks moved towards her, "Presea! You're okay!" A hand touched her shoulder, and then Genis came into view. She smiled, glad to see that he was okay. She didn't feel as madly in love with him as he was with her, but she did like him as a friend.

"Why are we stopping? This is a very bad time to stop!" somebody else panted. Sheena moved over towards the voice, finding Raine's sleeve as she moved. She smirked a little bit at the healer's panic.

"What are you guys running from, anyway?" Sheena laughed.

Raine shot her a dirty look, and then pointed behind her, "You can't tell me—"

"It must be invisible to her still," a deep voice finally caught up to them. Sheena reached out towards her right side and ran into Regal's arm.

Sheena didn't like the sound of this, "It? What's it?"

**_BOOM!_**

Something erupted out of the ground behind the seven heroes. Sheena couldn't see what it was at first. Debris flew out in all directions, shattering permafrost and anything that was under the frozen soil. She could make out its shape from the rubble's distortion, and she didn't like what she was seeing. It looked like a gigantic ringed worm with a leech-like face.

Zelos made a noise like a mouse shrieking. Everyone turned and looked at him. He tried to defend himself, "What? It's not freaking you guys out?"

"Oh, whatever," Sheena rolled her eyes, "Let's just go kill it."

Presea followed that command without a second thought. Colette flew after her quickly as well, not exactly looking foreword to a fight, but still wanting to help out. Genis didn't like being left behind by Presea, so he went off after her. Sheena charged after them, and then Zelos tagged along after her. All Raine could do was shake her head.

". . .we're going to be devoured again, aren't we?" Regal sighed.

Raine shrugged, "Well, we might as well go out with style."

The group formed a semi-circle formation around the worm. Snow blasted into their faces and tousled their hair. Sheena batted her bangs away from her face and got a better look at the monster. It looked like there was something wrong with its head. A bulge formed in the top of its head, and it twisted in pain. Finally, it bowed down towards the summoner. The thing under its head broke out and stepped onto the battlefield.

Zelos stuttered, "He-hey, babe. Long time no see."

A pale-faced woman turned her head to the Chosen. She frowned, then snapped her attention back to Sheena. Her eyes were cold, and there was nothing bright or living in her skin. There were chunks of frost frozen in her hair. Genis growled and backed away from her. He recognized her from his previous encounter with her, "Zelos, isn't that the—"

"Oh. It's them," the woman sighed. She reached back and tapped on the monster's face, "Show them."

Another bulge squirmed in the monster's injured head. Something dropped out of it with a heavy plop. He was covered in gooey remains of worms, and he wasn't happy. When he stood up, the goo oozed down his entire form, almost masking his entire body. Gloved hands wiped away the slime from his face, and then his friends could tell who it was.

Colette nearly screamed, "Lloyd!" She shoved her way past the frozen woman and hugged Lloyd. He seemed pretty shell-shocked, but he still reached around her and hugged her back.

"I'm okay. I think I'm okay. I don't know . . ." Lloyd murmured, "Professor, am I okay?"

Raine chuckled, "Apart from some minor brain injury, I would say so."

The pale woman wanted her attention back. She hissed at the party, "Good. Now die."

The giant worm behind her shrieked with an unearthly sound. Its voice echoed through the frosty air, ringing in their ears. Lloyd put his hands to his head. Colette was shocked to see blood trickling from behind his hands. He didn't seem to be in much pain, but it wasn't pleasant.

"I'm lost—why is she trying to kill us?" Sheena asked Verius. The fox didn't answer, but instead prepared to charge at the ice woman. He jumped through the air and lunged at her, growling as he flew through the air. He bit her sleeve, but she shook the beast loose and smacked him backwards.

Sheena's teammates went after the gigantic monster, save for Zelos. Instead of ganging up on the worm, he dove after the frozen lady. She anticipated his movements and shot a beam of ice at him. The Chosen was blown backwards, landing with a puff of snow in the ground. He shook off his injuries and got back up. This lady wasn't going to get a second chance to kill him!

Sheena was just about to go after the frozen sorceress with Zelos when the ice monster screamed again. It wasn't a battle cry—it was hurt. Presea's axe met its mark, slashing through a layer of fat and drawing blood in its side. It twisted around the girl and barreled into the ground. Not only did it send the girl crashing into another pile of snow, but it threw everyone else away from the monster too. Maybe taking down the monster wasn't going to be as simple as ganging up on it.

The icy lady only compounded to that problem. She took out a short crystal rod and shouted, "_Blizzard!_" The winds picked up around the entire party. They blasted around the heroes with great force, tossing snow into their faces. Not only did it sting like hell, but it blurred their vision. They weren't going to get very far if they couldn't see what was going on.

Never the less, Zelos was as fool hardy as ever. He swung blindly at the frozen woman, "Can somebody fix this? Ack!" The lady had clocked him on the back of his head with her rod.

"Negative! We've got problems!" Regal shouted back. His greaves smashed against the side of the worm, accurate even in his stumbling blindness. The power of the Aquamarine rippled against his greaves, water freezing them to the skin of the monster. If he wasn't as strong as he was, he would have been in a bad position. However, he had enough moment in his legs to rip back from the monster, tearing skin in the process. It was still an uphill battle—small squirming creatures inside its body partially healed its wounds.

Genis backed off and yelled, "I could take care of this if I could see!"

Zelos could see he wasn't getting anywhere with this, "Aggh, fine! Colette, get over here and help me!"

A sparkle of wings popped up over the monster and flew over to help him out, "Okay!" She tossed both her chakrams down towards the icy woman, but her aim was terrible. Instead of hitting the lady, she nearly hit Zelos. The flaming chakrams cam back to her, "Sorry! Sorry!"

"Fine! Let me deal with this!" Sheena grumbled. She finally felt mad enough to do something very important. She grabbed one of her ofuda and chanted, "_I call upon the heavenly messengers . . .I summon thee! Come, Sylph!_"

A swirl of green air spun above the blizzard. Three winged creatures dove out of the portal and flew down towards the battle. The first, Sephie, twisted through the air and smashed the worm monster with her crooked sword. Yutis, the second, launched a barrage of arrows down at the sorceress. Finally, Fairess dropped out of the sky and landed awkwardly on top of the worm's head, smacking it with her shield. The three fairies then disappeared out through the portal. This was what Sheena was counting on—as they disappeared, they redirected the current of the storm. Now being constantly pummeled by the storm wasn't going to be a problem.

"All right! Give me a second, guys!" Genis called out. Lloyd and Presea defended him from the worm as he kept casting. The monster knocked both aside with a swing of its massive head and continued towards the mage. Raine charged after the beast and swiped at it with her staff. It annoyed the monster just long enough to distract him from Genis. As it came down to bite Raine, Genis finished his spell, "_From dust to the dust, I beg of the earth to take this creature back! Eternal Grave!_"

That . . .definitely wasn't a spell Genis knew. At least, Sheena had never seen him use it before. She store in awe as the half-elf commanded the ground below them. He ripped it upwards with a few motions of his hands, and sent it splitting across towards the monster and the lady. Giant spires of earth pierced into the worm's flesh, even throwing his friends to the side as it tore up the landscape. It stopped at the frozen woman, enclosing around her and exploding with hundreds of spikes.

The worm stopped moving for a moment, but that wasn't a good thing. Genis had split it down the middle, and was stuck between all his spires. Instead of healing its wound, it split into two smaller chunks and became two new monsters. Lloyd sighed, "Ah, crap."

On the positive side, it did keep the frosty woman pinned. She wasn't dead yet, but Zelos was about to rectify that situation. He walked over towards the woman, now half impaled by Genis's power. He grabbed his golden sword and prepared to swing. Instead of panicking, the woman laughed at him.

"Finish me off. See how that goes," the woman cackled at him. Zelos didn't take that as a threat and did just that. With a quick chop of his sword, he ended the life of the sorceress. However, that didn't kill the worms inside of her body. They squirmed out of Genis's spell and traveled across the battlefield, slipping into the bodies of the worms. With a few painful snaps of magic, both worms expanded in size, finally growing back to the size of the original giant worm.

Now Raine groaned, "This is just our luck."

Verius tried to encourage Sheena's friends, "_Retaliate! Your powers can subdue it!_" He walked over to the summoner and asked, "_What do they need to do, Summoner?_"

Sheena honestly didn't know. It seemed like every time they managed to kill these worms, it was by severe blunt trauma. How were they ever going to keep that power up? She asked for suggestions, "Does anyone know a quick way to kill these things?"

"Lightning works well," Raine called back, "I would guess fire works against ice creatures too. Why?"

"Just listen! I've got an idea!" Sheena ran over towards the two monsters. She called out orders as she ran, "Raine, Genis, fall back and make sure you can cast spells. I want Zelos, Colette, and Presea targeting one monster, and I want Lloyd and Regal to come with me!"

Zelos was depressed by that command, "Ah, but hunny—"

Sheena stopped him, "Just do what I say! Now!"

The party split according to her directions. Genis couldn't run away fast enough, but his sister grabbed his hand and helped him run past the worms to an open area. Regal was the first to retaliate out of Sheena's group, strong kicks nearly knocking one of the monstrous worms aside. Colette led the assault on the other side, chakrams lancing through the teeth of the other worm and knocking them out. The monster she was fighting reeled back from the attack. She'd burned some chunks of flesh to a point where regeneration couldn't occur. They were off to a good start.

Lloyd cheered Colette before his own attack, "Way to go!" He turned towards the front of the monster and slashed at its face. It snapped back at him, but he was agile enough to dodge it. He swiped upwards with his left sword, catching it in the throat. Some oozy blood seeped out of it, but the wound grew shut again. It wasn't enough to discourage him, though.

Presea chopped at the back end of the monster's tail. She nicked a part of it off, but the worms stretched out from its body and sewed it back on. It turned to attack her, but Zelos leapt in to distract it. He retaliated with his own lightning technique, "_Super Lightning Blade!_" The move charred some of its skin, but the damage wasn't as great as he was expecting.

Sheena struck the monster with her ofuda spells, lightning leaping out of the Sardonyx. It channeled straight through the monster, which had both a positive and negative effect. On the upside, it did do a lot of damage to the monster. Conversely, the shock from the Sardonyx struck Lloyd and Regal. Their elements didn't react well to the charge of lightning, but it wasn't enough to severely hurt them.

Sheena gritted her teeth, "Sorry!"

"Maybe we should stagger our attacks?" Regal suggested, "It might be more beneficial if you struck where we did."

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah! So you can shock it more and not hurt us!"

"I didn't mean to! Geez!" Sheena apologized again, but then she agreed, "Okay! I'll do it!" She ran up the side of the monster and flipped over it to their sides, in a manner of grace that only a ninja could have. Both of her companions were impressed at her maneuver, but didn't take enough time to congratulate her for it. Work had to be done.

"Everyone get ready!" Raine called out from the distance, "_Field Barrier!_" Blue prisms of magic formed around everyone's bodies. They didn't understand what that was all about until they looked over at Genis. He was just about done casting a spell.

Zelos yelled, "Guys, fall back!" His group tore away from the monster just in time.

There was a dark surge of mana as Genis finished his spell, "_Indignation!_"

A blue circle of electricity hovered ominously over the worm Zelos' group had been attacking. It tightened into one gigantic strike of electricity and ran the monster through. It screeched a terrifying cry, hurting everyone's ears just like Lloyd was hurt earlier. After that, it sank into the snow as a partially-soupy mess. It looked like Genis had done his job.

"Let's help the others," Presea took no time to reflect on their victory. Zelos, Colette, and her just about made it to the other's sides when the worm flailed once more at them. All six of the fighters were knocked aside, some crashing backwards into Genis's stone walls. Sheena got back up again, but not all of her friends could get up. Colette and Presea had taken a nasty blow to the back of their heads—they were unconscious, but they weren't dead. Raine ran over to assist them, even getting swatted in the process to help them. Genis quickly followed, hoping his friends were okay.

Lloyd growled, "Aggh! We've got to think of something!" He tried standing up, but his head was swimming. He fell backwards into the snow, unable to get further than that.

Sheena nervously glanced at everybody. They didn't look like they could last much longer. Raine was busy trying to keep everyone alive as it was. She bit her lip, "Genis, can you pull off another Indignation?"

"We don't have enough time!" Genis shouted back. He had to roll away from them just to avoid getting clobbered by the worm like everyone else.

Zelos suggested, "Maybe. . .maybe you could try that huge lightning attack again, Sheena? Like the one you did in Efreet's tests?"

"I—I'll try," Sheena grabbed one of her ofudas and placed it in the air, "But somebody get up here and protect me!"

Although Zelos was sometimes a chicken, he would always put on his showiest bravado when it came to women. He was the first on defense, leaping towards her side and guarding her with his shield. The monstrous worm bit at him, nearly engulfing him. His shield took most of the damage, but the parts of his body that took damage from the bit had long, dagger-like punctures in them. He wasn't going to be able to do much more for her.

"Hold on!" Regal pushed himself off the ground and went to attack the monster. Just before it could attack them, he jumped into the air and whirled three strong kicks, "_Dragon Dance!_" He leapt backwards off its face and followed off with one more dive, "_Eagle Rage!_" The force of the attack knocked the monster's head away, allowing him to land safely on the ground. It wasn't strong enough to keep it at bay for long. The monster swerved back and smashed Regal away with the side of its head. He rolled into a snow bank, smearing blood where he landed.

Sheena was afraid—it felt like she was all alone. Even if one of the Sages came up to protect her, they couldn't withstand such powerful impacts. Never the less, she forced herself to keep chanting. It was only a few seconds more! She could do this! As she glanced upwards at the monster, she knew she wasn't going to have enough time. She wanted to scream, but it was caught in her throat.

Moments before the monster could swallow her whole, Lloyd yelled, "**NO!**" Defying every painful signal in his brain, he dashed over to her side and struck against the monster, "_Raging Beast!_" After two powerful swipes of his sword, he blasted the monster back with a lion-like burst of power. It reeled back, unable to strike back against him in time. Sheena finally felt the mana in her body surge as Lloyd knelt to the ground—it was time to finish this!

"You wanna mess with my friends? Come and get some!" Sheena snapped. She flew into a frenzy, heedlessly charging at the monster. Every strike of her ofuda cards crackled with electric energy. The clouds became dark and heavy as she continued her volley against the worm. Lightning danced down from the clouds and joined her dance, zinging every which way against the monster. With one final blow from the sky and her card, a gigantic lance of lighting crashed down into the body of the worm beast. It exploded with the impact.

Sheena sat down into the snow, "Verius?" The fox came to her side, somewhat apathetic to the entire situation yet still caring about her. She rasped, "How's that for teamwork?"

Then she collapsed, the winds still blowing around them as heavily as ever.

* * *

"_They . . .they passed the third trial._"

It was enough to make Toshi sick. He tossed his sake cup to the side, shattering it against the floor. It was only the third out of the seven trials the group would face, but still. He didn't like what was going on. They were much more successful than he had anticipated.

"_Any casualties?"_ Toshy dryly asked.

Verius shook his head, "_None, sir. They are all still alive._"

The hulking villain sulked over the news. He got himself a fresh cup of sake and drank it down. After the drink buzzed in his head, he grumbled, "_And I suppose you still wish me not to kill them. . . _"

"_Next trial. Give them the next trial,"_ Verius frowned, "_They will find the Sword of Tengu there._"

Toshi was getting sick of this, but he complied, "_Fine. They have one more day. Then their lives are mine._"

"_As long as you do not tell me when it happens. That's all I ask_," Verius sighed, "_Sheena was my master once, too._"

Toshi smirked at this comment. He took another sip of sake, then laughed, "_I'm afraid I might need you in my plan. I've got a particularly nasty fate in store for them._"

Verius growled, "_No! I will not do that!_"

Before he could retort any more, he felt the edge of a naginata blade at the top of his head. He didn't move as Toshi spoke, "_Do you wish to die again? I don't think you'll get lucky enough to get reincarnated again. Volt was generous enough to lend you a new life in the first place. Don't think he'll do it again._"

Verius hissed one final time, but then laid down in front of the overbearing man, "_Yes . . .master._"

He didn't want to be their enemy, but he had no choice but to face the awful truth.

* * *

Author's Note:

. . .I last updated **WHEN?** Oh my god!

Okay, go ahead and blame my college life. I've been very busy doing my studies/job. (I get to update the college website. Fun in a bun!) Plus, it's sometimes hard to write battle scenes. Yes, even for me, the queen of stab-slash-kill.

But I hope this makes amends! Heads up for the next chapter—some more weird shit goes down. As usual though, right? Please tell me that you missed me! Please?


	14. Exploding Sky

**Chapter Fourteen: Exploding Sky**

_Sheena had these dreams before. Somehow, they were more chilling now. She was on a dirt road in the middle of the country. There were neat little fences lining up individual properties, all full of untouched plains. The sky was a heavy gray, and reaching down towards the ground were several huge tornados. They howled and danced in the fields, but they didn't approach the road. What stopped them from coming this way?_

_She wasn't alone, either. Raine was standing farther down the road, looking up and around here with a glimmer in her eyes. She was happy. Sheena thought she was bonkers. Then again, who else but the Professor would take time to admire the weather as it was threatening to kill her? Crazy woman._

_Sheena walked down the path to her, "What are you doing?"_

_Raine turned to greet Sheena. She waved back, "Isn't this just marvelous? Look at the way the currents of wind are forcing each other into a—"_

_"We're going to be blown away if we don't find shelter!" Sheena yelled over the storm. It roared with a titanic fury, ripping two new tornadoes down into the fields._

_"Oh, would you look at that? It's a pair of twin cyclones!" Raine smirked, "You don't get to see many of those."_

_Sheena felt annoyed, "Are you even listening to me?"_

_Raine didn't respond. She turned her head back to the road and answered some unheard voice, "I'm coming!" She abandoned Sheena and ran down the dirt path. Sheena shook her head and took off after her. Where was she going now?_

_It felt like she ran for miles. Finally, a shadow appeared in the road. It looked like a tall man, but she couldn't tell who it was. He didn't acknowledge either woman, but turned away and walked off. He stepped into a dark forest that just sprung out of the ground. Sheena stopped, watching as trees kept shooting up from the ground. It was larger than anything she had ever seen._

_"Well? Aren't you coming?" Raine asked._

_Sheena shook her head, "You're insane! You want to go hunting for some random guy in the forest when there are hundreds of tornadoes out here?"_

_This just wasn't like Raine at all. Where was her logic? The healer shrugged off the ninja, "Okay! Just scream when you get in trouble, okay?" She ducked into the forest and disappeared from sight. This was just bothersome._

_"Geez, what's going on?" Sheena growled. She would have put some more thought into her situation, but she lost track of her thoughts when a bellowing noise passed over her. She looked straight up to see the eye of a tornado barreling down at her. Sure, she knew this was just a dream, but this was getting freaky!_

_So, she took Raine's advice—she screamed._

* * *

"**KYAA!!"** Sheena shrieked like only a violent demonic banshee could.

Zelos answered her scream, "**AGGH!!**" He fell backwards on his ass. Apparently, the Chosen was trying to wake her up when she began freaking out. Well, at least the crazy dream had one benefit. She had frightened the Chosen, and he wasn't likely to do something he was scared of again.

"Geez, Sheena. You're giving me a heart attack," Zelos placed one hand on his heart and panted.

She huffed back, "Well, if you weren't being such an idiot, you wouldn't have gotten scared!" With that, she jumped off the ground and started storming off.

Raine stopped her before she got very far, "Zelos was just following my orders. I thought we should get up at the same time, for once."

Sheena didn't argue with Raine on that. It was kind of nice to have everybody prepared for once. There wasn't much telling when the next summon spirit would arrive, but it was better to be ready to go than to be sitting on their butts. She sighed and came back to the camp. She found a spot between Lloyd and Presea and decided to wait with them. Zelos would have to suffer her cold shoulder for a little while.

Unfortunately for Sheena, that didn't mean much to him, "So, babe, what were you dreaming about?" She growled lowly, but that only provoked him, "It was about me, wasn't it?"

Presea shook her head, "Perhaps you should leave her alone, Zelos. We don't want her enmity for you to disrupt her task at hand."

That hurt Lloyd's head, ". . .Enmity? I thought that was a good thing. Like a candy flavor."

Nobody knew quite what to say about that. Genis decided to correct him, "Enmity is a kind of hate, Lloyd. A very nasty kind."

"Gotcha," Lloyd gave him a thumbs-up sign. He might not be the brightest star in the sky, but Lloyd could learn.

There was an awkward pause for a moment. Something was lost between Sheena's icy glare at Zelos and Lloyd's utter confusion. Colette didn't like the silence, so she tried to start up a conversation again, "So . . .when do you think Sylph will show up?"

Sheena was surprised, "Sylph? How do you know it's going to be Sylph?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious," Genis rolled his eyes. Sheena stared at him for a moment, just about as frustrated with him as with Zelos. He tried to explain, "I'm just saying! When we were in Efreet's test, you summoned Gnome, and then he showed up the next day."

"That's right! Then you summoned Celsius during that test, and she appeared yesterday," Raine agreed, "You summoned Sylph yesterday, so they should be here today. It's a logical idea, if it follows the patterns already established."

Regal smirked, "True. Besides, I'm sure you've had your own premonitions as well."

"I'm glad you're all so analytical today," Sheena grumbled. She was definitely not feeling happy. These tests were getting ridiculous. She just wanted to go home and see that her grandpa was okay.

Zelos was really thrown off by her attitude. Sure, she was normally a little grouchy, but she seemed just edgy today. He leaned over to Colette and asked, "Can you do something about her?"

Colette whispered back, "I don't think so. Maybe we just need to back off for a while."

"That's not an active solution at all!" Zelos criticized her idea. He was just about to refute her plans when he realized something, "Uh . . .you're listening to us, aren't you, Sheena?"

She growled, "There's nothing wrong with me! I'm just tried of all of this!"

". . .I'm concerned about it," Regal frowned, "We've gone through quite a number of trials already. I would guess they'd only get progressively harder."

Lloyd tried to perk everyone back up, "I'm sure we can do anything, as long as we work at it. We just need to keep together."

Just as Lloyd said that, the world went topsy-turvy. The ground disappeared beneath everyone's feet. There was a moment when they floated in the air, then they dropped through the green mist below them. Colette hovered above everyone as they fell, careful to follow them. This was certainly unexpected.

The group got back onto their feet and took a look around. They were standing in the middle of a gigantic marble library. Raine instantly left the group and starting paging through the books, little hearts in her eyes. Genis sighed and asked, "Where are we this time?"

"_Oops! I think we've got it backwards_!" an annoyingly high-pitched voice said. Fairess appeared out of a swirl of green mana.

Yutis came into view shortly after her, "_I told you that we should talk with them first_."

"_Would you two not argue now? We've got to give the Summoner our task_," Sephie flew in between them. The three Sylph bowed to greet Sheena.

Sheena shrugged, "Well, tell me what we've got to do this time."

"_It's really easy! Really really easy!"_ Fairess jumped up and down. Lloyd cringed at her enthusiasm. She was just too spastic.

Yutis informed the group, "_All you have to do is find the Sword of Kirin's brother_."

Zelos took out the golden sword from his sheath, "What, this thing? I forgot it was part of a set . . ." He pointed the sword towards Lloyd, "Does this mean you're going to have to use this, too?"

"Technically, what Lloyd uses is just a split version of the Eternal Sword," Genis corrected Zelos, "I'm sure if these swords are better, Lloyd'll give you the Eternal Sword in one piece."

Zelos argued, "No way! I want the cool sword for once in my life!"

"Would you two knock it off?" Sheena shut them all up. She turned back to the three Sylph, "Is that all?"

"_That's it_!" Sephie smiled. She seemed a little concerned after that, ". . ._however, I would advise caution. This realm isn't normal_."

"Why? This place doesn't seem too bad," Colette asked. She looked around the room and tried to figure out what was wrong with it. Sure, it was a little dark with all the heavy wood accented furniture, but that wasn't anything too frightening.

The three Sylph seemed confused about that question. It was like none of them knew quite how to answer that. Never being at a lack of words, Fairess abruptly spoke, "_You might feel a little different here. This is place likes to screw with human emotions_!"

Genis didn't seem worried about that, "Big deal. I'm not human, and neither is my sister. We'll take care of the others."

Fate decided to contradict him as Raine started yelling, "Would you look at this? This is a long lost tome from three hundred centuries ago! How did it end up here? Ah, I simply must take it back with me!"

There was a moment of silence, and then Genis sighed. He felt like he was going to fight another uphill battle again. He didn't like the thought of his human friends being whacked out in this dimension. Having his sister going into a ruin mode every third step was going to be a problem as well. Why were his friends always so troublesome?

"_You'd better watch out too, Genis_," Sephie told the half-elf, "_You're part human too, you know_."

The three Sylph gathered into a circle and disappeared in a flash of green light. They left the group alone in the huge, dark library. Everyone didn't know quite what to say at first. At an attempt to reorganize the situation, Regal asked, ". . .well, where should we go first?"

Raine snapped her book shut, "You're kidding. You want to leave this marvelous place? What is wrong with you?"

"Ugh," Sheena groaned, "Let's just get going. This is starting to get ridiculous."

She was right, in a way. She just didn't know how crazy it was going to get.

* * *

Igaguri was deep in meditation. It was all he could think of doing at a time like this. He could hear his fellow kinsmen moaning and shuffling outside the walls of his house, but he could not help them. He was a prisoner in his own home. If what Verius said was right, however, Sheena would be coming back shortly. They were on their forth test. That meant they were over half-way, and that much closer to saving him.

As he tried to calm down, his side suddenly ached. His body wasn't healing well from his previous beating. He felt tender all over, and it was all he could do not to scream at times. But, he was a ninja, and he had great self control. Those two things could overcome the twinges and pains of his body.

"_Still trying to hide your wounds_?" a voice tormented him . Igaguri didn't even open his eyes to acknowledge the dark sorcerer. He knew it was Oroku Toshi. He didn't need to pay him any respect.

Toshi snickered again, "_They aren't healing well at all. What a shame. If only someone would take care of them for you_."

Igaguri grumbled from his stance, "Are you going to continue talking to me? I will have to block you out if you persist."

"_Hah! You old coot—why would I waste any more time with you_?" Toshi mocked him, "_The gears of fate are in motion. By the end of today, I will have no more use for you_."

"Very well. Do as you will to me," Igaguri wasn't shocked, even at the threat of his own death. He bit off another shock of pain and retorted, "Sheena will come back soon enough."

The dark mage had to laugh again. It was a brash, rough sound that echoed awkwardly off the walls and back towards him. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, "_We shall see if your granddaughter will benefit you . . .or me_."

* * *

Sheena spent quite a long time observing her surroundings. Her friends were all ahead of her, talking about something, but she wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to them. She couldn't help but feeling déjà vu. This seemed a lot like Gnome's test, but at the same time, not really. It was much lighter here, even with the wooden furnishings. The walls were all white brick, and there were many more windows. It didn't help to look out them, though—all she saw was a thick fog.

"Sheena? Are you doing okay?" Zelos broke off from the group to check up on her.

She shrugged off her concerns, "This place just feels very familiar."

That sent Raine off into a theory, "If this place holds the other sword that goes with the Sword of Kirin, it's very likely we're in a shifted dimension. In fact, we might even be in a parallel universe!"

"Parallel . . .universe?" Lloyd asked, "This is going way over my head."

Genis sighed, "It's not a hard concept, Lloyd. Just think about it."

The swordsman paused for a moment and did just that. Instead of getting an answer, he got a headache, "Ow. . . "

"Air pressure is increasing," Presea noticed something was off as well, "I'm experiencing some pain from it too."

Regal winced, "This doesn't feel normal . . ." He held one hand to his temple, "I can't keep my eyes open . . ."

"Damn! What is this?" Zelos tried cussing out his pain, but that didn't help at all. It felt like a vice was closing around his head.

". . .it's a seal," Raine murmured. Everyone looked up at the healer. She was standing in front of a large, barricaded door. There were runes inscribed into the metal bracing of the door. She slowly read through them, ". . .remember the past that sacrificed the future. Show your heart."

Colette shook her head, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I would guess that it's a riddle. Maybe we need to think of some answer," Raine thought. It didn't seem like the pressure in the room was affecting her at all.

Zelos was shocked, "Thinking? Now? Aah. . ." It hurt him to even utter a word. How did that thing think it was going to pass through here.

"Aggh! This is so . . .irritating," Lloyd growled.

Presea didn't understand it either, "How can the past sacrifice the future? . . .it doesn't exist together."

That seemed to spark Raine's mind, "Wait. Maybe I'm wrong." She reread the inscription on the door, "Oh, now I see! It's a test of character. It wants to know one of my memories."

"Really? That's it?" Genis was surprised, "That seems so simplistic."

Lloyd knelt down in pain. He placed both his hands on his head, "Just make it stop!"

"All right. Let's see. . . I remember," Raine thought for a moment, "Lloyd, do you recall the Tower of Salvation?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" now the Professor was making his head hurt too.

Raine smiled, although it seemed to be a sad one, "Remember when you, Genis, and Presea were trying to get past the security systems? I stayed behind and hacked the terminals when you went ahead. But, I knew that I was going to die if I stayed." She traced her fingers across the door's seal, "I sacrificed my future for your safety. You were a part of my past that I thought would change the world. So. . .I was willing to let myself be destroyed for a very important part of my past—for my pupil."

Something lightened in the air. The six humans suddenly felt the pressure leave their heads. The runes on the door shifted under Raine's fingers and bled into the lock. There was a grinding noise, and then the door flung itself open. The group was shocked by the glare of light, but they quickly adapted to that as well.

"That was it?" Lloyd asked.

Genis scratched his head, "I guess, but. . .nevermind. Just seems weird to me."

"Let's just get going," Zelos passed through the door, "I'm not going to argue with the door, even if I think Raine's memory has backwards logic."

The hinges on the door started to move again. Everybody panicked and ran through the door. It slammed shut behind them, runes slipping back into their initial position. At least this time, the air pressure didn't come back. Zelos felt a little embarrassed, but he didn't say anything else. He wasn't going to piss off the door again.

"We'll have to take it for granted when the doors open around here," Raine thought out loud, "Anything to make it think otherwise seems to set it off."

Sheena shook her head, "That's all we need. Touchy doors."

Regal smirked, "Well. . .it's still not as bad as I thought it was going to be."

"Oh, great. Regal's being optimistic," Zelos sighed, "We're in trouble."

Sheena and Raine both rolled their eyes. The healer took the lead of the party, "Let's just keep going for now. With enough luck, we should get through this in no time."

The party continued further into the white castle, unknowing of what turmoil was to come.

* * *

Author's Note:

. . .it's finals week. I got bored. You got a chapter. Rejoice!


	15. Mind Blowing

**Chapter Fifteen: Mind Blowing**

Zelos really should have been taking the situation more seriously. However, his mind was lost in random thoughts. For the first couple of minutes, it was a damn good song he'd heard from a bardic group on the streets. Then he started bouncing strange ideas around in his head. He was finally starting to understand things he learned back in Sybak. Somewhere between debating the theory of entropy and left over chemistry ideas, he ran into a wall. That snapped him out of it.

"Would you focus?" Sheena was too embarrassed to even make fun of him.

Raine kept studying the castle around them. She couldn't help but feel a little odd, "Why aren't there any enemies here?"

Genis shrugged, "We just haven't found them yet. No biggie."

The group fell silent again. It was unusual to ever have a moment of silence between them, but they felt no need to speak. Lloyd was uncomfortable with that. He tried finding something to talk about in his head, but nothing came up. With some frustration, he kicked a pebble on the ground. It ricocheted off a corner of the hall and spun backwards.

And hit a switch.

"What the—", Sheena lost her thoughts as the entire ground started to fall away. It folded down at its center like a bridge. Everyone but Colette slipped into the crevasse, falling into a dark black pit below it. She dove in after them, the floor sealing above her head. It was darker than anything she'd ever seen before, but at least she had her wings.

She searched in the murkiness for her friends, "Lloyd? Everyone? Where are you?"

Regal recovered first, standing up and whistling Colette over. Black water ebbed around his ankles. Lloyd got up after him and shook some of it loose from his clothes. It was rather disgusting down here. It wasn't necessarily as bad as a sewer, but it wasn't pleasant. The air was stale as well. Nobody had been down here for quite a long time.

Zelos was a little frustrated, "Gross." He wrung his robes clean as best as he could, joking with Sheena at the same time, "You know, I just had a thought. Your grandpa isn't going to kill us for wrecking these, right? I mean, are they expensive, or—"

"Don't worry about it," Sheena shut him up. She took a moment to pace around the trap compartment and made some notes in her head. They hadn't fallen very fall, maybe twenty feet at most. The traps were sealed shut, iron doors hidden under the brick floors. The interior of the trap was a small rectangle shape. Fungi grew out of the walls in thick clumps. It was enough to make her feel claustrophobic.

Genis sighed, "Well . . .now what?"

"Give me a moment. There must be a reset switch around here somewhere," Raine started investigating the trap with Sheena. Usually, it was a very obvious clue. There was always an odd colored brick, or a stone that stuck up from the ground, or something like that. The generic trap builder always had a way to undo these things, especially if they got caught in their own trap.

Presea walked around with them, making her own little notes. She thought out loud, ". . .if there's not a switch, I suppose the Chosens could fly up and try to move the door. That is, if they're strong enough . . ."

Zelos shrugged, "And if we're not, we can always have Regal blast things."

"I wouldn't advise that action," Regal frowned, "We'd probably get buried under rubble before we could escape."

Zelos gave him a dirty look, ". . .if Raine asked you to do it, I bet you would."

Sheena rolled her eyes, "Zelos, this is not the time for that."

"I'm just saying! If I had a pair of chest cannons, I'd—", Zelos started, but Genis whapped him in the stomach before he could continue. It didn't hurt him, but it knocked the breath out of him. He glared at Genis too, then gave up, "Fine, fine. I'll shut up."

Lloyd smirked, "You know, you say that, but I doubt you will."

There was a pause in the conversation where Colette stopped to think about what Zelos meant. She had to ask, ". . .what are chest cannons? Are those guns in your ribcage?"

Genis laughed as Zelos turned bright red. Raine shot him a glare as well, making him blush even more. Sheena didn't think there was a time in her entire life that she saw the Chosen of Tethe'alla get embarrassed. He stepped off to the side and waited for Colette to come over. He softly explained what he meant to the other Chosen. Her eyes widened, and she walked away from Zelos speechless. She didn't even take the time for retribution. She was just too shocked from what he said.

Everyone shut up again, refocusing on their attempt to escape. Genis wasn't having any luck finding out how to escape. Sheena was shivering in the dark, and it disrupted her train of thought. Presea was cold as well, but she tried not to let it affect what she was doing. It felt like there wasn't anything around for their escape.

"Well . . .now what?" Sheena asked.

_Pzzt!_ Something started shooting water into the trap. The black tide rose a tiny bit, forcing the surge of water up to their ankles. It abruptly started as it stopped. Regal followed the noise to one corner of the room, searching for a spigot or a pipe. There was none. It was like it was embedded in the wall. He looked under the water and found a hatch that flipped back. There was a nasty little spigot underneath that.

"There's something behind the wall," Regal reported, "The constructors must have hidden a pipe."

Zelos grumbled, "Great. So, what? Water's going to keep leaking into here?"

"I-I think it's getting a little c-colder, too," Presea stuttered. She never complained about anything, but having her speak up about something was unusual. Colette walked over to her, trying to warm her up with her power from Efreet's Garnet. It didn't help much, but it was something.

Lloyd leaned back against the wall, "This is just nuts. How do they expect for us to figure this trap out?" He turned his head to the right, sighing at the same time. He opened his eyes and noticed something. There were tiny depressions in the wall, "Wait. This could be it!"

Raine came and looked at what Lloyd found. She thought for a moment, "It looks like instructions but . . .It's a little blurry."

Lloyd sighed, "Crap. This is just what we need. Fuzzy instructions." He placed his hand against the wall and sighed, "Well, is it time for Plan B?"

Just as he was about to give up, a power triggered in his hands. Dark water dribbled up from the pit and wobbled into the cracks. A slight frost washed over the water, freezing in the cracks of the depressions. They shined a light blue color, finally revealing there message. Lloyd was a little surprised. He didn't even think about using his power. How did that happen?

Raine was happy, "Good job! That's better." She paused to read them.

Lloyd shrugged, "Ah . . .It was nothing."

The professor studied the runes for several moments. She finally understood them and read aloud, "Despair is a freezing flood in a box. The warmth of the soul opens it. Show your heart."

Zelos laughed a little, ". . .freezing flood in a box? That's not a great riddle, is it?"

"All right, so it wants a time when you despaired?" Genis asked his sister.

"Yes. . .well. . .I think I have an idea," she smiled. There was a fondness in her voice as she talked, "Do you remember when we went to Sybak and were captured by the Papal Knights, Genis?"

He rolled his eyes, "Duh. How could I forget something scary like that?"

Raine agreed, "I know . . .I was afraid Lloyd wouldn't come back for us. I really thought that was the end for us." She smiled and recomposed herself, "But, you wanted to fight back. You thought he'd come for us—you didn't give up. So, when we got the chance to escape, you caught them in a spell and we ran off."

"I think it was Air Thrust, if I remember correctly," Genis gloated. It wasn't every day he got to flaunt his powers.

Raine chuckled, "Well, you were right. You didn't loose faith in our friends, and they came back. I think even if we were dragged all the way to Meltokio. . .we would have been all right."

Something heavy lifted above their heads. The trap doors flung back open. Just at that time, the trap's spigot exploded with water pressure and shot everyone back out the trap. They landed back on the first floor. Just as they came to their senses, the doors snapped back shut. It was like the trap had thrown them up.

Sheena got back onto her feet, "Well . . . looks like the next door is open. Should we move on?"

* * *

At another door, the dark sorcerer Toshi and Verius waited patiently for the heroes to arrive. The door was gargantuan, locked and powered by an electrical current. The juice holding the door shut ebbed around the surface of the door, leaving tiny purple sparks in its wake. It was truly an impressive door, accented with small gemstones and gold trim. Toshi had spent many years looking for a way to get past this door—finally, he had his solution.

"_To think, the Sword of Kirin was the key to this door the whole time_," Toshi smirked, "_I should have known that. More importantly, I should have taken it from that worthless monastery years before I got involved with that peasant village_."

Verius didn't seem too opinionated on the topic, "_You needed the information from Igaguri. He is charged with guarding the secrets of the Swords of the Planes._" He paused and thought a little more, "_I'm sure he could have pointed out other mystical weapons as well. You didn't need just these swords._"

"_But these ones—nay, only the Sword of Tengu is useful for my task. I only needed the power to destroy,_" Toshi argued.

"_. . .as your consult, I would suggest retrieving the Sword of Kirin from Sheena's allies as well. They could use it to undo your work_," Verius tried to get him to reorganize his objectives.

Toshi had a good laugh about that, "_Ha! Those buffoons . . .I'm still surprised they're alive._" He glanced back up at the door and thought some more, "_. . .I suppose they would make good drones, once I kill them. I suppose I could get someone to make them into undead warriors?_"

Verius wrinkled his nose, "_You will do no such thing! I may have no choice about whom you fight, but I will not watch you make a slave out of my master!_"

His breath caught in his throat as he realized what he said. Toshi turned and glared at the fox, irises alight with anger. He hissed at him, "_Don't you **ever** refer to that human girl as your master. Never again! Do you understand?_"

"_I'm sorry! I forgot that she—_", Verius began pleading, but Toshi stopped him with a sharp blow to the face. The kitsune was too shocked to retaliate, so he sulked off into a corner of the room. He hung his head in shame.

Toshi growled lowly, "_Don't ever forget that you belong only to me._"

* * *

There wasn't much going on right now. It was mind-numbingly dull. Colette wasn't one to complain about taking things at a slow pace, but this was ridiculous. The walls were all the same. The floors? Same wood paneling covered by the same red throw rug. Three windows on both sides, revealing more fog beyond their glass panes and frames. Absolutely, without a doubt, one of the most boring places she'd ever been in.

". . .we're not going in circles, are we?" Colette finally asked.

Sheena shook her head, "I don't think so. . .but I can't really tell."

Genis doubted it as well, "If we were going around in circles, we would have noticed. We would be feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. I think this is just very boring decorations."

"Well, we can't judge," Zelos laughed, "Personally, I like this place better than the crap holes we've gone to. It's nice and enemy free."

Regal sighed and looked up at the ceiling. There were heavy wooden beams supporting the walls. It was at least something new to look at, "This isn't good, either. We need experience. We have no idea how strong this new enemy is."

"Oroku Toshi. Yes. He could be a problem," Presea agreed, "I know we've faced our fair share of enemies, but there's nothing wrong with picking up experience."

Lloyd grumbled, "Man, but I thought we were strong enough already. . ." He kept looking around the room, "There's got to be something here. This can't be just so . . .so . . ."

"So simple? So repetitive?" Raine smiled, "I know how you feel." She crossed her arms and recalled, "Even on Colette's Journey of Regeneration, I got bored."

Genis snapped, "Raine! How can you say that?" He chuckled after a moment, "I know Lloyd gets bored easily, but—"

"Hey. . ." Lloyd sulked. He hated being the butt of a joke.

Raine settled her brother down, "Just hear me out. I loved seeing how Colette evolved and changed through the journey. . .but I must admit, I hated walking around blindly. I know Colette's faith in Martel was strong, but I had my doubts. There were loopholes and fallacies in the religion . . ."

"That's our Professor," Lloyd smiled, "You never liked just following something blindly."

Something changed in the room's atmosphere. They could hear something crinkle in the rafters, almost like the sound of paper crunching. They looked up to see tiny pieces of wood float down towards the center window. The pieces became transparent and reflected several colors as they hovered in front of the window. The panes in the window shattered out into the fog.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Zelos asked.

The tiny shards shot across the fog, cutting a rainbow trail behind them. It solidified into a semi-transparent bridge. Raine jumped up into the window's opening. She carefully reached out and found that it was safe to touch. Without further consideration, she stepped out into the fog and kept walking.

"Ah . . .Raine, is that safe?" Sheena didn't want to risk following out into nothing. That didn't sound like fun.

She could hear the Professor chuckle, "Everyone! Come out here and look at this!"

Everyone followed her orders and stepped out onto the bridge. They saw the professor looking at something written on the outside walls of the castle. The walls were curved, encircling them in a gigantic oval. They couldn't even see the end of the bridge and the opposite side of the castle. But, that wasn't the shocking thing.

Written on the walls in golden letters was the clue they didn't see, "Follow blindly, loop infinitely. Show your heart."

". . .if we could have seen the message, we wouldn't have wasted so much time wandering around," Regal frowned.

Raine shrugged it off, "Oh, well. No problem. We figured it out."

"As long as you're happy," Sheena agreed.

Presea seemed to like this as well, "Despite the time we lost in the halls, I would guess that we're being much more efficient with this test."

"Great. Just don't tell the Sylph that. We don't want this to be any tougher than it has to be," Genis smiled.

Raine got the group prepared to move on, "All right, follow me." They trailed behind her as she stepped across the bridge. Their pathway ended at another window. With a gentle push, the healer opened the window up and stepped into the new location. Everyone carefully got down from the window's edge and looked around in disbelief.

"Don't tell me . . ." Zelos looked green. He felt like he was going to puke.

The entire castle was flipped upside down. The boring wooden floors and rug were now above their heads. The pitched roof now was under their feet. It was like walking inside a bowl. The only new feature to the set of rooms was an open door at the end of the winding hallways.

Well, at least it was a new way to go. With any luck, they'd be finishing up the test in no time.

* * *

Author's Note:

Um . . .yeah, that's not totally ripping off Symphony of the Night or anything. I don't remember Alucard playing with trippy fog bridges! Maybe Link? Err. . .is there even Silent Hill in there? I don't know!

Unfortunately, I've made a decision. While I'm going to finish up this story (and maybe Tong Song), I'm going to have to quit doing this as a constant activity. Not saying that I'm totally giving up fanfiction. I'm just going to move on to one-shots. Like, ya know, the one one-shot I did about Kratos that I had to break up into four parts. Yeah . . .

. . .and I'm sad to say, but Evanescence is good for fanfiction writing. Oh, the emo music! It's probably how I churned out a chapter in four days.

So, sorry this chapter's a little short. It'll give you something to read over your winter breaks and whatnot. BTW—Happy Holidays! (Pick a holiday, any holiday! I know! Boxing day!) Give me a head's up if you liked this chapter!


	16. Twisted Thoughts

**Chapter Sixteen: Twisted Thoughts**

Despite nearly drowning, having their brains cleaved from migraines, winding staircases, and an entire inverted castle, this test was a cakewalk for the travelers. They all had their doubts about the future, however. Raine didn't understand how picking through particular emotions and thoughts she'd had in the past was supposed to be hard. Sure, there were things she'd rather not talk about, but . . .well, no point in bringing those up. She took their turn of fortune as fate, and fate has this difficult thing about changing for the worse.

"Anyone else getting freaked out by this?" Zelos pointed to the ceiling, "I mean, there's furniture up there. What's keeping it up there?"

Sheena brushed his question aside, "Quit thinking about that and think about something more important."

Raine stopped in front of the double doors blocking their way, studying details on it. There were metallic strips running through the two doors like veins. They wound into a silver-colored lock where the doorknobs should have been. The lock was heart shaped, wrapped in the silvery veins like the rest of the door. It was ridiculously intricate, so it must have been important.

"Look there," Regal pointed upwards. There was a second lock just like the first, inverted several feet in the air.

Colette gasped, and then clapped her hands together, "Aw! That's so cute!"

Genis snorted, "So, sis? What do you think this is about, huh?"

Raine went stone-faced. She tried looking for a clue, but it didn't seem to be standing out. As she tried to figure out what this was about, she rebuked her brother, "Genis, quit being immature. This is probably not what you think it's about."

Zelos grinned from ear to ear, "It's got to be! The door wants you to talk about . . .looooooooove!" She yelled at him a couple of times, but her complaints weren't heard over his boisterous singing, "It's love! It's love! It's all that we're here for!"

". . .are those even the right lyrics?" Presea muttered to Genis. The half-elf shrugged.

The group fell silent and tried to figure out what the door wanted. Lloyd looked around for writing on a plaque, or something obvious like that, but there was none. Genis kept pacing around the door, twisting his head in different ways to see if there was something missing. Zelos got frustrated and kicked the door a couple of times, but it didn't budge. Sheena sighed and started walking back. Maybe there was something earlier that they had all missed.

She stepped back twenty feet and finally saw something, "Raine? I think I found it."

The healer ran back to where Sheena was standing. In the winding veins of the door, there was a message. She translated out loud, "Hearts lie in opposition, but seek the same goal. Reset them both. Show your heart."

Everyone was a little confused. Zelos voiced that opinion, " . . .what the hell?"

"It's probably a statement about some argument one of us used to have," Sheena started thinking through people, "I know I get mad at Zelos a lot, but it's got to involve Raine somehow. . ."

Lloyd crossed his arms, "The professor? I know she gets mad at us, sometimes, but I don't think she holds a grudge against any of us . . ."

They all stared dumbfounded at the door again. Zelos kept shaking his head, hoping that he wasn't the opposing force the message wasn't talking about. Regal had a stern expression on his face, hand cupped on his chin as he was trying to think. Presea kept staring at it with this locked expression. She hated being destructive, but maybe she just needed to chop straight through the door.

Regal gave in, "It must be something that happened before I joined this group."

"Yeah. Can't say I remember anything, either," Zelos shrugged, "Unless you and Sheena were having cat fights about me before you came to Tethe'alla."

That sparked something in Raine's mind, "That's it!"

"Whoa! I'm flattered," Zelos beamed. The entire group shot him a look, and he apologized, ". . .sorry. I'll shut up now."

Raine explained what she was thinking, "Sheena, have you forgotten? You used to be our enemy."

Sheena blushed, "W-well, I'm sorry, but I had to protect my home."

"That's it. We wanted to protect our homes," Raine nodded, "That was the disagreement we had."

The locks from the doors opened up. There were small indentations where it looked like something could fit. Everyone was a little confused about what they were. They were pebble sized, but they seemed to have their own markings and flaws. It had to be a key of some kind, but none of them could recall ever finding one. Maybe they missed something.

". . .well, now what?" Lloyd asked.

Regal started fiddling with the locks, "I suppose this would be the reset part the clue mentioned." As he started investigating what needed to be done, the Aquamarine on his hand started glowing. It leapt from his finger to the door, like it was magnetized. He stepped back in shock.

"Wow! That was cool!" Colette was surprised, "Let me try it." She stepped up to the door and took off the Garnet. It started glowing as well, and as she held it over one of the indentations, it pulled her hand towards the door. She placed it in the lock and walked back.

Lloyd nodded his head up and down, amused by the situation, "That's pretty cool." He went up to the door to try and place his ring in. For some reason, the Sapphire wasn't activating like the others. He scratched his head in confusion, ". . .so, why doesn't this work?"

Genis went up to studied the lock, "If I didn't know any better . . ." He turned his attention to Zelos, "Stick the Topaz in, moron."

"Can do," Zelos brushed away Genis's insult for the moment and put his hand next to the lock. The gemstone shown a bright yellow before it drew itself into the lock. Raine noticed the pattern Genis was going after, taking the Opal off and placing it in the final position in the bottom lock.

Sheena finally understood what that was all about, "Oh, I get it! Those were Sylvarant's stones, right?" She looked up to the lock above their heads and asked, "So, Tethe'alla's must go up there?"

"No problem. I can put them up there," Colette beamed. She took everyone else's gemstone and flew up to the top of the door. One by one, she placed each of the rings in their corresponding slots. As the last one slide into place, both locks started glowing a golden color. A pulse of energy shot through the door's veins, and then the locks started turning. The door slowly creaked open.

The rings fell out of the locks as soon as they were done. Everyone picked up their stones and passed through the door. Just as they did, something strange happened. Another pulse shot into the next room. Genis and Raine could feel the room's pressure changing in their ears. They looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

"This doesn't feel right . . ." Zelos moaned. His body shot to the right side of the room. Presea was thrown to the left at the exact same time. They both hit the walls with a considerable amount of force. Both of them got back on their feet, but they were confused what had happened.

Colette felt the same mana charge, "Uh, oh." Both she and Lloyd were flung to the opposite ends of the room. The swordsman was pretty pissed about it, but he couldn't break through the barrier in the middle of the room. It was like they were being forced apart.

"Of course. Now it makes sense," Raine commented. She braced herself for impact as Genis flew to the opposite end of the room. She could feel some kind of magnetism coming from the room. That was what they were feeling earlier.

Sheena was a little lost, "Wait, what?" She and Regal were the last two to part from the center of the room. Both landed with a solid thud against the wall, and then dropped to the floor. The walls let go of everyone, but not before something zipped between the two groups. It was an electrical force field, effectively blocking out any attempts they could try to dissolve it.

Genis explained as he dusted himself off, "It's our gemstones. They gave us a magnetic charge and separated us."

"Are you kidding? Man," Zelos grumbled. He tried to look on the bright side of the situation, "Oh, well. At least I'm not surrounded by guys."

Sheena sighed, ". . .are you guys going to be all right?"

"We should be fine," Regal nodded, "As long as your side feels safe for the moment, of course."

"I can't say I'm thrilled about this, but oh well," Lloyd shrugged. He rested his hands on his sword sheaths, "Should we get going?"

Raine sighed, "I guess we really don't have a choice."

* * *

"_They'll be arriving shortly_," Verius reported.

Toshi was still deep in his own selfish thoughts. The kitsune walked in between his master and the door to get his attention. He sat down and offered his advice, "_I think it would behoove us to hide for the moment. We should not let Sheena find us._"

Toshi wasn't concerned about her, "_I could snap their necks in a heartbeat. I see no reason to hide like a coward._"

"_. . .I'm just saying, it would be easier if we let them open the door for us. We could take both swords from them afterward,_" Verius tried again.

"_Fine. I still don't need the Sword of Kirin, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have it around_," Toshi decided that the fox may have had a point. He turned around and went to a corner of the room. He disappeared into the walls, a gigantic mist covering the ground in his disappearance.

He whispered to them from his hiding spot, "_Go back to Mizuho and keep an eye on the old man. I will summon you if I need you_."

* * *

They continued forward in silence, the dividing force driving them through odd pathways. The room spun around them, purple patterns ebbing over the brick walls. Looking below, Colette could feel her stomach twirl. Both sides ended up walking in strange places where gravity should have pulled them down. It was more nauseating than anything they'd experienced.

"Everyone doing all right?" Raine called across the force field.

Genis shook his head, "I'm going to lose my lunch." He glanced around and tried to find a solution, "Anyone seeing another hint?"

"You're wanting us to look for clues when I'm about to puke?" Zelos asked. He braced one hand his stomach and tried not to look at the walls. He felt like he was shifting to the left, even when he was standing.

Sheena slowed down and tried to keep her balance. Even as a ninja, this illusion was too overwhelming. She reached out to put her hand on the wall when she felt it go smooth. It was like stepping inside a kaleidoscope. She didn't know how she was going to keep this up, "I. . .I'm having problems here."

Lloyd tried to help her along, "Hold on, Sheena." He tried helping the ninja to cross, but his sense of balance started to unravel as well. They swayed around in the illusion. There were several times when they'd almost trip over each other's feet.

Regal's balance gave out in the unending vertigo. He tried closing his eyes, but it still felt like the room was spinning. He put one hand against the wall, "I doubt I can go much further."

"This isn't any good," Raine sighed, "Maybe we need to turn back and look again."

"No," Presea argued against that. She stepped forward, "I can keep going. I feel fine."

Everyone stared at Presea. How could she not be sick? The swirling was enough to knock dragons off their feet. Then again, Presea had the fortitude of steel. She could even stand the worst of Raine's cooking, long after everyone else puked it back up. Sheena wasn't going to think too deeply about it. If she was able to continue, she might as well go on ahead, "Okay. Go find the next clue."

The lumberjack nodded and walked off without her friends. They all rested for the moment, stomachs too queasy to continue. Just after Presea stepped out of sight, the room started churning. The electric barrier in the middle of the room rippled under pressure. Swirling ground grew up the sides of the barrier and around them, encircling the group in two separate orbs. Zelos pounded against them, but they ricocheted him back. It was more repellant than rubber.

"Uh, oh. Presea? Are you okay?" Genis didn't think much on their situation. Presea could have been in more trouble if she was off on her own.

She called back, "There's a door up here. I can't see you guys. What's going on?"

Lloyd sighed, "You tell us. I have no clue."

"We seem to be trapped inside some sort of membrane," Regal tried to explain their situation, "What do you see?"

"There's a lot of darkness . . .but there are little white lights. They look like stars. I still can't see you guys. What's going on?" Presea sounded concerned.

Raine started spinning ideas inside her head, "It's possible that you're seeing an optical illusion." Her head buzzed with pain—the barriers were interfering with her inherited elven traits. Something was wrong with them.

Sheena caught onto the problem, "Um, is it me, or is it getting smaller in here?"

"Ah, crap," Zelos whined. She was right. He could feel the membrane of the room rippling underneath his feet. It was a slow movement, but that didn't comfort him. He didn't want to die inside a contracting ball of gunk. He took his sword out and slashed against it, but it did no good.

Colette got nervous, "Oh. . .this isn't good. Do you see any clues?"

Presea shook her head, "No! There's nothing on the door." She had a worried tremor in her voice, "I'm going to look for you guys."

"Stay where you are. I think I have an idea," Raine tried to keep cool under pressure. "Look at the white lights again."

There was a moment of silence, and then Presea called back, "There are letters! It's like a constellation." She read off the message, "It lies behind us, and it surrounds you. We die within it, but we cannot exist without it. There is a hole in your heart that it fills. Show your heart."

". . .it seems like I've heard this before," Regal frowned, having a slight case of déjà vu.

Sheena pushed against the shrinking walls, "Any time now, guys. Let's try not to get squashed here!"

The walls pressed in around the two groups. Lloyd's back smashed up against Genis and Sheena. Zelos kept slashing in vain while Regal and Collete shoved themselves against the wall. They needed a little more time for Raine to think. She kept mulling ideas over in her head. The panic in her throat reminded her of a difficult battle.

"Abyssion said—unn—that there was a whole of darkness in your heart," Raine groaned.

Presea's eyebrows lifted, "Darkness?" She turned back to the door, "Give me a moment."

She turned to the door and looked for another lock like the one in the previous door. There was a small ding in the door. She scraped around the hole with her finger and removed the gunk from in. A small shape like the front of the Amethyst appeared. She took the ring off and jammed it into the door. It twisted to the right on its own and unlocked the door.

The walls stopped shrinking in on the other adventurers, but a new sensation set in. Both traps pitched forward through the illusion of stars and smashed into the wall next to Presea. Everyone scrambled back out, a little shaken from the impact but otherwise okay. She took her ring back from the door and turned her attention back to her friends.

"Shall we proceed?" Presea asked.

Zelos' stomach flipped, "I guess so."

Sheena tried to encourage everyone, "We're doing fine. We've already gone this far, and we haven't really gotten hurt yet."

"You're right," Lloyd nodded, "We've probably only got a couple more rooms to go, and then we can pick up that sword."

They were a little surprised when they stepped into the next room. A thick, black smoke covered the ground. The walls were grey bricks that went up until the ceiling disappeared. Round pillars held the massive room together like the ribcage of an animal. The room felt very muggy, but the hair on the back of their neck stood up. Everyone fell silent as they passed through the room, eyes open for the next clue.

"I'm not so sure if I like this place anymore," Colette said.

Genis shook off her fear, "It's okay, Colette. It's nothing we can't handle."

The group approached the door. It was a huge, cobalt door inlaid with gemstones. Small sparks sizzled from it. Sheena touched it, watching the sparks jolt back and forth from her ring. Volt's power was protecting her from being hurt. She crossed her arms and wondered what she was looking at.

Lloyd asked, "Is this the final door?"

"It could be," Zelos shrugged, "But then we're missing out on a test."

"_Test? You want a test?_"

Someone's voice boomed out from above their heads. They all looked up, trying to see where that came from. The voice cackled back down, "_I am your test._" It kept laughing at them, voice deepening the entire time. "_I am your strength and your will. I push when others fall. I fight where there is no battle. I never dream. I never sleep. I have no time for weaklings_."

A black humanoid figure dropped from the ceiling. The group scattered as he stood up. He had mid-length hair fanned around his face, orange eyes peering out from his bangs. There was only one wing coming out of his back—the other had been severed at the base and poured ebony blood into the smoky floor. He pulled out a pointed shield and a long, curved scimitar. A black scarf wrapped around his neck and tumbled to the floor. It was like he spawned himself from the shadows, and yet, he looked familiar.

"_I am the incarnation of resolute fate_," the shadow angel introduced itself, "_I am Animus!_"

* * *

Author's Note:

You know, I wanted to fight Kratos in one of my fanfiction pieces. I think Animus is the closest I'll get without getting corny. (Yes, Animus is the dark incarnation of Kratos! OMGWTFBBQ! Plot spoiler!)

I also realized that I've worked over a year on this piece. I don't know how to feel about that. I thought I'd have it done earlier. (I guess if I kept linear and didn't keep skipping ahead to other parts of the story, I'd have it done by now!)

Well, I hope you're enjoying this. Next chapter, you might notice some grammatical changes. I'm trying to clean up my dialogue parts. Until then (it should be soon), have fun! TTFN


	17. Drowning Rhapsody

**Chapter Seventeen: Drowning Rhapsody**

Toshi perched in the rafters of the room, watching as the dark incarnation dropped down at the ninja's wretched band. He was wrapped in the murky cloak of the shadows. The group was too busy analyzing their latest threat to look for him. They would never suspect that he was watching them, anyway. They probably expected the twisted sorcerer to be back in Mizuho Village, torturing citizens. He smiled as he watched the battle fly into full force.

This was going to be fun to watch.

Animus taunted the group, "_Well . . .are you coming?_"

"I don't like the looks of this," Sheena shook her head. She wasn't the greatest strategist, but she did have an acute sixth sense of trouble. "Something just doesn't feel right."

Regal sighed, "We don't have any choice but to eliminate him." He lunged from the side of the group and rushed the dark angel. His foot razed across the top of the angel's head, missing him by mere centimeters. The angel oozed away from his blows. It was like he was made out of liquid.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Zelos charged in after him. He stepped to the right of the angel, hoping to catch the ooze monster off guard. He slashed forward, but his attack repelled against Animus's shield. The shadow angel glared at him, one orange eye burrowing into his self esteem. He muttered, "This is going to suck."

Sheena rolled her eyes, "What are you guys doing?" She leapt above the angel and planted one seal on the top of his head. It fizzled off with a crackle of energy, but it wasn't enough to hurt Animus too much. He ignored the ninja, slamming his shield into the ground. It burst into a thousand black splinters and melted into a puddle.

As Raine tried to study the angel, Presea and Genis jumped into action. A short water spell flung around Genis and stuck Animus. Presea followed up, landing one chop of her axe. Animus shoved back the second attack, throwing her backwards with the force of his parry. The shadowy liquid pouring from his severed wing and the ground leapt into his blade. It tossed her into the wall, barely missing the aging pillars.

"Come on, guys. Surround him," Raine shot a spell around her group, "_Acuteness!_" Their strength surged under her power. Lloyd zipped around Animus and struck him, but it wasn't enough to throw him off. The angel turned around to the swordsman and shot his hand out. The shadows leapt out of his sword and shoved Lloyd back into a pillar. It didn't hurt him, but it kept the swordsman off guard.

Zelos muttered, "This guy has eyes in the back of his head." Just as he said that, Animus whipped back around and grabbed Zelos with his open hand. It charged with dark energy, and then burst out of his hand. It flung Zelos towards the ceiling. He landed with a thud next to Presea.

Colette decided to use her power, "**Smoldering Mandala!**" Her chakrams burned with red-hot fire, dancing around her body. They zinged through the air and sunk into Animus's skin. That pissed him off. He yanked the fiery weapons out of his body and chucked them back at Colette. She ducked just before they would have hit her. They hissed into the wall, rock flying from the impact.

Regal gritted his teeth and threw himself back into the fray. He evaded the tip of Animus's blade and nailed him in the chest. He flipped his body up to hammer the angel in the air but it escaped his range before he could deliver another blow. He finished his cartwheel gracefully, dropping before Animus's attack one more. This creature was starting to be a pain.

Sheena took Regal's distraction to her advantage. She charged her ofuda deck with electricity, and then reached out to strike Animus. The angel dodged her attack moments before she was about to rail on him. She hissed and rolled to avoid another slash in her direction. Some of his black blood splattered her in the attack.

"He's not getting the picture," Genis smirked. He popped off another spell, "_Thunder Blade!_" A long sword of electricity plunged into the ground. It zapped the dark angel, finally getting some decent damage into him. The angel sneered and targeted Genis. A huge black arm shot out of the shadow puddle and knocked the half-elf aside.

Animus was getting equally sick of the group, "_Let's end this._" A burst of dark energy crackled around him. It erupted with a heavy snap around him. The dark band slammed the group away from him, some crashing into the pillars in a dazed stupor. He regained his composure and spun his sword around his hand. He walked towards Raine and cackled. The fighters weren't going to be anything of real consequence without her.

Animus stepped on Raine's lower back. She turned to see a sword hovering over her head. He stabbed downward at her throat. She grabbed her staff and blocked the blow, metal grating with small sparks flying. Raine growled as she kept her defense. The pressure from his blade was forcing it closer and closer towards her.

There was an awful sound of bone cracking. Animus was rigid, face locked in an expression of shock. His once wing was twitching beyond his control. Bone protruded out of the broken wing, blood staining the ground. He glanced behind him to meet the cold glare of a pissed off ex-convict. Not surprisingly, the dark angel felt the same.

"_You . . .will . . .pay!_" Animus swung his sword and struck Regal in the arm. He smiled despite the pain and disappeared, "_Mirage._" The ex-convict's sudden disappearance startled the angel. Animus looked behind him to see a foot smash straight into his face. It sent him sprawling on the floor.

Lloyd got back on his feet and took control of the situation, "Leave this to me!" He jumped into the air and thrust his sword down. A cold draft surrounded his body in small frozen crystals. He slammed into the ground, the patch of frost turning into full-blown ice. The power of the Sapphire froze Animus in place. Lloyd pulled his sword back, "**Frigid Blast!**" Ice and snow exploded into the air, blasting the dark angel into pieces.

Everyone was a little stunned at Lloyd's attack. The swordsman smiled, "Wow! This spirit power thing is useful!"

"I know! Isn't it cool?" Colette smiled. The two of them could be so naïve sometimes.

"Yeah, yeah, it's neat," Genis was short with them. He went over to his sister, "Are you okay?"

The healer got back onto her feet and nodded, "Yes. Persistent, wasn't he?"

Zelos ran his mouth off, "Well, he's dead now. Some big test." He paused and thought over it, "What was he supposed to be about, anyway? I don't remember fighting anything quite like him before."

Raine fell silent for a moment. She remembered all the times they had fought monsters like that angel before. There were horrible times when she watched her party succumb to their powers, one by one. And yet, she felt a pang of regret. A word escaped her, " . . .priority."

"Raine? Are you okay?" Sheena asked.

The healer frowned, "I remember a time where. . .we were falling apart. Back in the Tower of Salvation."

"We know. We talked about it a little earlier today," Presea knew where she was coming from.

"I asked myself a wrong question once," Raine sighed. "That day, I asked which one of us had the greatest chance to defeat Mithos. I decided it was . . ."

Lloyd shook his head, "Don't talk like that, Raine."

She smiled, but in a half-sad way. "I talked with Regal about it. He said you wouldn't like us talking about it like that."

"Well, of course not," Zelos huffed. "If you people would have just stayed put, I could have gotten back to you, but no! You had to go off and nearly get yourself killed!"

Raine ignored Zelos for the moment. "The thing I always felt bad about is what happened afterwards. After we talked about it, there was a passage in the hall. We stumbled into a swarm of angels. And . . . well, you remember what happened."

Zelos was still indignant. He mumbled under his breath, ". . .it wouldn't have been a problem if you guys trusted me . . ."

Colette tried to cheer Raine up, "But nothing bad happened! I mean, I know it was tough to find me, but—"

"I guess I still feel bad about it. I put the idea in Regal's head to sacrifice himself for our cause," Raine shook her head, ". . .and then we all started to disappear . . ."

There was a hiccup of silence that nobody interrupted. Zelos looked like he wanted to brush the problem off as nothing, but he couldn't think of what to say. Lloyd felt uncomfortable with the entire situation. He didn't like thinking about his friends dying for him. Everyone waited for someone to say something.

"We all accepted death as a part of our course long ago," Regal broke the silence. "It doesn't mean that we don't want our lives. You certainly didn't harm us by talking about our mortality."

"I wouldn't be kicking yourself about that," Lloyd tried to cheer her up too. "I'm not happy that you guys were willing to die for me, but . . ."

Sheena finally came up with a solution, "Just forgive yourself and go on. We haven't come this far to get demoralized."

Raine liked the way Sheena put it. "That's right. It's past us now. I guess if we don't get moving, we won't ever get home."

"And if I don't get back home, the world's going to be just that much uglier," Zelos laughed. Everyone shot him a glare. "Hey! I'm just kidding! Come on . . .I'm not that bad."

The group turned their attention back to the door. It was still glowing, but there seemed to be something different about it. There was a white slit in the door. The gemstones embedded in the door liquefied and slid into a new message. The group studied it for a moment.

"My brother unlocks me," Genis read. He crossed his arms, "I think we missed something."

Lloyd was frustrated, "No way. We missed a key?"

"I don't think that's it," Raine said. She pointed to Zelos's sheath, "Stick your sword in the lock."

Zelos shrugged, "Okay. But why?"

"The Sword of Kirin must be the brother to this sword. It's probably similar to the Eternal Sword's structure, don't you think?" Raine deduced.

"Works for me," Zelos could be simple, sometimes. He took out the sword and slid it into the slot in the door. It twisted to the right, gears moving in the lock. It began to click open, huge parts rolling the doors backwards. The sword dropped out of the lock. As Zelos picked it up, the group stared beyond the doorway in surprise.

There was a stone pathway that led out to a large dias. There was no other ground around it. It hovered above the entire castle, exposing the travelers to the outside of the castle. It was dark and black, thick clouds hanging above their heads. They couldn't see much of the castle beyond its wiring spires and towers. Everyone else was obscured by a thick mist around the base. It looked like they were a long way up.

"Wow!" Colette flew off the side and hovered around the platform. "Creepy, isn't it?"

"You sound happy about that," Genis muttered. "Well, let's go get this sword and get the test over with."

Zelos jumped out, "Can do." He went up to the dais, but not without eventually getting some acrophobia. He ran half the way through it and collapsed happily on the huge surface.

Sheena sighed, "Well, he made it through. I guess it's okay." She led the rest of the party out to the dais. Zelos yanked the sword out of the pedestal in the center and showed it off to everyone. It looked similar to the Sword of Kirin, but it was silver and crackled with energy. The hilt was wrapped with blue leather, its name scribbled in kanji on it.

"Very pretty, huh?" Zelos smirked, "Well, that's done. Now what?"

"_Now I kill you._"

Before anyone could see what happened, a figure jumped up from behind the group. He drove his naginata down into the new sword, knocking it loose from his grasp. The Chosen had no time to recover from the attack. The man blasted Zelos with a burst of fire, blowing him over the side of the pedestal. He fell off the side screaming in shock.

"Zelos!" Sheena ran over to the side of the dais. She saw an orange flash from below. At least he had enough common sense when to use his wings. She turned back to the man that attacked them. He was admiring the sword he knocked out of Zelos's hand.

"_Yes. . .yes! It's about time!_" He turned to reveal his face, "_You have been useful to me, Fujibayashi-san._"

"Toshi?" Genis rolled his eyes. "Well, isn't this just predictable. We do the work, and the villain gets our reward."

Toshi sneered back at the half-elf, "_I suppose you could look at it that way. Now, please do me the favor of dying._"

He swung the sword over towards Lloyd. A violet-blue bolt of electricity shot out and zapped him. It sent him sprawling to the ground, winded from the blast. It was more intense than anything that had ever hit him before. It hit him with the strength of a boulder, and it made him feel numb all over. He could barely lift his head to see what was going on.

Toshi turned and blasted Presea next. She tried to block the attack with her axe, but it coursed through the metal blade. She froze in place for a moment, bearing the pain with an expression of stone. After the electricity exited her body, she collapsed to the ground, axe still in hands. She couldn't get back up onto her feet.

Raine yelled, "We need to get out of here, now!"

"Got any ideas?" Sheena asked.

An errant bolt sizzled over both their heads. Raine started casting a spell, but explained her idea, "Wait until Zelos gets back here, and call a Summon Spirit to get us out of here!"

"It's worth a shot," Sheena shrugged.

Raine took command of their group, "Everyone, protect Sheena!" She tossed her staff in the air and released her spell "_Field Barrier!_"

Toshi found their attempts at strategizing amusing. He hurdled through the air, going straight for the ninja. Colette got in front of him first, bashing into him with all the strength she had. The tackle didn't stop him for long. He picked up the angel and threw her over his shoulder. She landed awkwardly against the pedestal.

Genis managed to get off another spell in time, "_Ground Dasher!_" The dais rocked with the power of the spell, debris flying loose and hitting Toshi. The sorcerer turned to Genis and snickered. He drew parts of the spell into his hands and hurdled it back at the half-elf. It ripped across the dais with its power and slammed the mage aside.

"Any time now, Sheena," Genis panted. That was more powerful than he'd imagined, but at least Raine's shield spell had deflected some of the power.

Toshi bounded across the dais to attack the two women. Regal pounced on him before he could connect with his sword, feet slamming straight into the sorcerer's face. He twisted his body around and dove straight onto Toshi. Just as he was about to repel him, Toshi slashed the duke backwards. Blood splattered across the dais in a neat, straight line. Regal knelt to the ground, trying to stop the bleeding in his chest.

An orange flare shot up through the dark sky. Zelos was finally back in range. Sheena hissed and threw down one of her ofuda, "_I call upon the maiden of the mist! I summon thee!_" Seconds before the blade would have struck her, she finished the spell, "**_Undine!_**"

A torrent of water shoved the sorcerer away from the ninja. A blue skinned woman appeared out of the waves gushing out of the spell. She turned and asked, "_Summoner?_"

"Get us out of here! Now!" Sheena ordered.

The summon spirit was happy to oblige. Dark blue mana surged around the group, encasing them in its soft grasp. The team faded out in a shower of bubbles, floating out of Toshi's reach. He hissed as they disappeared, pissed that he didn't get to slay them. That summoner was getting more annoying that he'd previously thought.

The sorcerer hissed, "_Verius._"

A swirl of dark magic dropped the fox demon into the atmosphere. He wasn't pleased to be there, "_You called?_"

"_I've got the sword,_" Toshi announced, "_Take me back to Mizuho. I will finish my plans there._"

Verius didn't like the sound in his voice. It was giddy and frustrated at the same time. He murmured, ". . ._and what of the ninja?_"

Toshi smirked, "_You know what to do._"

* * *

Undine dropped the group back into their previous realm with a heavy plop. They groaned as they sat back up. Toshi was not a fun man to deal with. Raine got up and started healing the group. They didn't need to say much at that point. All of them knew what had happened. They blew the test.

"I . . .I can't believe it," Genis shook his head, "I mean, we were doing so good."

"_Shall I tell the Sylph to talk with you?_" Undine asked. "_I'm sure they would like an explanation for what happened._"

Sheena sighed. "We don't have a lot of choice. Go ahead."

The spirit nodded and faded out. Everybody sat down and tried to relax. They all had a nervous glanced in their eyes. Zelos felt a little impatient, folding his arms around his knees. Raine patched up Genis, and then moved onto another friend. Regal managed to heal his own wounds and helped Presea shake off her pain. Colette kept limping back and forth, trying to think about what was going to happen next. Sheena glanced at all of them and wondered how they could have failed.

The three Sylph finally appeared. Fairess was the first to open her mouth, "_So, you screwed up, huh?_"

Yutis scolded her, "_Don't rub it in!_"

"_Sisters, hold your tongues._" Sephie got them back on topic, "_What happened, Summoner?_"

"Well, everything was going okay . . ." Sheena didn't know quite what to say. She crossed her arms and sighed. "Just as we got the sword, Toshi showed up and took it from us."

"_You are lucky to have your lives, you know?_" Fairess tried to cheer them up. "_I mean, he could have totally annihilated you guys!_"

Zelos got impatient, "Just tell us what's going to happen now."

"_Well . . .you don't have a lot of time to redo this_," Yutis said.

Fairess spoke her mind, "_It's possible that this Toshi person could come and attack them again. He may be a hazard if we held another test_."

"If we have to do this again, we will," Presea said. "We have no other way to go home."

Colette frowned, "It's too bad. We did have the sword, for a little bit."

The three sisters were surprised at her comment. Sephie smirked, "_You did get the sword, this is true . . ._"

"_And you did pass through all the traps_," Yutis caught onto her sister's idea.

Fairess jumped up and down, "_Plus, they could use this power tomorrow!_ _You know, when the huge—_"

Yutis shushed her, "_We can't tell them the future. But, they would certainly fail if we do not help them._"

"_I hate to think that this is a freebie, but . . ._" Sephie shrugged and agreed. "_All right. We'll activate the Opal._"

A swirl of green mana entered Raine's ring. She could feel a soft swirl from it. She lifted her hand and watched it glint. Yes, it definitely was active. She bowed towards the spirits, "Thank you."

The Sylph smiled. Fairess gave them a thumbs up, "_Get ready! Tomorrow's going to knock your socks off!_"

She was understating it.

* * *

Author's Note:

Yeah, so, sorry if this was total crap. I've been busy with school again, and I wanted this chapter off my back. Hopefully, the fight scenes will make up for the crappy ending.

And, yeah. Reviews are nice gifts.


	18. Spiral Drain

**Chapter Eighteen: Spiral Drain**

Verius stared down on the sleeping party with disdain in his face. He did not want to do this. If he had his own will, he would not be spying on them. They were all sleeping so soundly, unaware of the danger at hand. What would they think? What would Sheena think? The thought made him ill. He did not want to bring them into the pits of destruction, but he had no choice. The master said to kill them. He would do so.

One of the humans in the campground moved. He huddled lower into the brush. Brown boots passed by him, unaware of the kitsune's presence. The fox watched him disappear further into the forest, and followed him after a period of time. This one had voluntarily separated himself from the others. It would be much easier to take them down one at a time.

The fox crawled against the floor of the forest, belly scraping against the soft soil. He stopped a few meters behind the human, watching him with some faint interest. He had not noticed the summon spirit. Instead, his mind seemed to be drawn completely into his exercises. Verius thought this one would be smarter than to leave his friends, but he wasn't going to encourage him otherwise. He just needed to do his job. He looked up into the bamboo shoots and muttered a spell. A small portal opened, and a dark blob dropped out of it.

The human jerked his head up, noticing the creature in the bamboo stalks. He walked around it, looking to see what it was. Its skin was rubbery and wet, sticking to the stalks with slime. It oozed down the stalks, landing in a sticky plop at his feet. He backed up from up, not sure what it was. Nerves tingled on his fingertips and in his legs.

The ooze bubbled up from the ground, absorbing the dirt beneath it. Puss squeezed out from its body, lathering itself with a new layer of thick grime. The human turned to see two eyes glaring at him from the brush. His expression paled, ". . .Verius?"

"_I'm sorry, Regal_."

* * *

_Sheena watched the brook run up the side of the hill. Waterways didn't usually defy gravity, but she thought this one could make an exception. After all, it was only a part of her dream. After nights of extreme visions and dire prophecies, she was content to relax and have a simple dream. She walked along the side of the shore, going up the hill as she went. She wanted to know where it came from._

_She pulled herself up the grassy hill to see a well. The brook was flowing into the well, slopping up the sides and falling into it. She glanced into it and didn't see anything. It tumbled into the darkness, stone walls blurring and becoming invisible as it disappeared. Well, it wasn't terrifying, but it still seemed ominous._

_"I wouldn't be jumping right into that if I was you."_

_Sheena pulled her head back. There was a small turtle sitting the grass. He turned his head up and talked again, "Just saying."_

_"Okay. . .I'm talking with a turtle," Sheena sighed. "No big deal. I can handle this."_

_"I don't know, babe. I'd get my head on straight, if I was you." The turtle walked up to the well, but couldn't get up on it. "'Scuse me, could ya help a buddy?"_

_Sheena shrugged and picked the turtle up. She placed him on the ridge of the well. He balanced on the edge rather well, unafraid of the pitch black depth. The turtle nodded, "Yep, this one's a toughie."_

_". . .who are you, again?" Sheena asked the turtle._

_The turtle replied, "Well, I'm kind of like your guardian spirit, babe. I'm here to give you a heads up."_

_Sheena didn't believe him. "You're . . .my . . .yeah, okay. Sure."_

_"Doubt me all ya want, but I'm gonna give you a head's up," the turtle said. He looked back into the well. "Ya see down there? Jump in it, and say good bye to this place."_

_"What do you mean by that?" Sheena was a little concerned about what was going on._

_The turtle laughed. "Babe, I can't explain everything to you."_

_There was a sharp, horrible scream from the well. It stole Sheena's breath from her chest. She looked down it, but she couldn't see where it came from. The sound was terrible, like someone taking a machete to an ox. She didn't want to know what was down there any more._

_"That's my cue!" The turtle spirit turned into a gold coin and flipped himself into the well. She watched it glimmer and fade into the darkness. She shied away from the well for a moment, not wanting to follow the spirit in. Another scream rippled out of the well, piercing her ears like nails. She decided she had to face whatever horror was down then. With a single flip, she hurled herself into the well._

_It wasn't nearly as deep as she thought it would be. She fell for a few feet, but then grabbed onto the walls. She skidded the rest of the way down the well. Landing with a soft splash at the bottom, she stood up and gathered her senses. There was a small passage that went a little ahead of her, so she followed it down. It got dark, sunlight fading away from the walls and dissolving into the darkness._

_"Sheena. . . Please . . ."_

_The voice was much weaker now. She slowed down, uncertain if she missed something. Her foot stumbled over a bump in the shadows. She slowed, staring directly in front of her. She could hear the person wheezing, great breaths rattling through his throat. There was no way to tell what he looked like, but she knew he was there. He made her want to scream._

_White eyes flashed in the dark. "Help me!"_

* * *

Sheena jolted awake, her heart leaping in her chest. She jumped to her feet and looked around. It looked like everyone was still asleep. She sighed and sat back down. Sometimes, it was hard for her to snap right back into reality. She took a few deep breaths and calmed down. She did a quick count to check who was around. Her finger pointed out seven people still in the camp.

Her heart nearly stopped. Seven?!

Sheena recounted and hissed under her breath, "Of all the times!" She leapt to her feet and ran into the forest. In all reality, she had no idea why she took off in this direction. She could simply feel that something was wrong. Mana hissed by her ears as she ran. There were will o' wisps out in the forest. That was something new.

More blue flares of light flickered in the air as she kept running. The mana source was getting stronger. It felt frightening, almost like being around one of the summon spirits. She pushed through the trees and into an empty spot. There were holes in the ground where bamboo shoots were missing. It was like some unseen hand had plucked them out, roots and all.

Sheena ducked as a bamboo shoot crashed next to her. She turned around to see a dark blob drop out of the tops of the shoots. It was a swollen mass of debris, dirt and trees mashed up inside of it. She screamed as she saw a shape like a body floating inside its interior. Trapped inside of the muck and debris was Regal.

"_No! Back!"_ a voice hissed at the monster.

The ooze seemed unwilling to listen to its commander. The voice issued its command a second time, "_I told you! Your purpose is finished! Return!_"

The blob emitted a sound like a squashed sigh. It hovered off the ground in a perfect sphere. There was a slurping noise, and it sucked itself out of the realm. It left no remnants of what it absorbed. Sheena's jaw quivered in shock, uncertain about what had just happened. A wash of anger came over her as the voice's possessor stepped out of his hiding spot.

"Verius!" Sheena yelled at the spirit, "How—what—"

"_I. . ._" The fox found himself dumbfounded. "_I had no choice._"

She stomped closer to Verius. "Choice? Choice? What do you mean by that?"

Verius snarled, "_Back away from me, summoner_."

Sheena's jaw dropped. Verius had never been cruel to her before. He made have had a hard heart, but he always had some respect for her. There was a part of her soul that they used to share. This new turn of personality was shocking.

"Whatever that was, tell me that it was not your idea," Sheena begged. "It was Toshi, wasn't it? He told you to attack us, right?" She clenched her fists. "You wouldn't do this to us!"

"_I—I—_", the kitsune was lost for words. He looked away from the summoner, not sure what he could say back to her.

She wanted to cry. This was the worst betrayal yet. Now, Verius was truly their enemy. She realized that he had no will but his master's, and that man wanted them dead. There was no going back to their friendship.

"Tell us . . .tell me what you did to Regal," Sheena ordered.

Verius held his ground, "_I cannot._"

Sheena snarled at him, "Tell me! Don't do this to us! Don't pick us apart!"

"_I. . .I cannot_," Verius replied.

He turned to walk away, but Sheena stopped him. "Don't you move." When he turned back to look at her, she hissed, "If you walk away, then . . .then we're done being merciful. We'll be enemies."

The summon spirit felt tears beading on the rims of his eyes. He looked away from the ninja. He had no way to ally himself to the summoner anymore. His master's word would eventually override all her begging and pleading. It was both their misfortunes.

"_Summoner, I cannot come back to you_." The kitsune turned away and prepared to teleport himself. He gave her one last piece of his mind, "_I cannot be Corrine._"

There was a blue swirl of mana, and then the fox left Sheena alone. She bit her teeth for a moment, nerves shaking. She finally gave up, crying in the middle of the forest. She slumped to the ground, giving into her emotions. It had been a while since she felt so hurt. No one had ever betrayed her like this. Even when she'd screwed up, that little fox was always there for her. Now he was gone, replaced by some chained monster. It was too unjust.

"Sheena? Are you okay?"

The ninja looked up to see a red-headed figure standing next to her. He frowned, kneeling down to her level, "What happened? I heard you take off. You're faster than me, you know that? Took me forever to catch up to you!"

Sheena sniffled and buried her head into his shirt. Zelos frowned, finding it both appealing and disturbing at the same time. He liked it when his favorite hunny was comfortable enough to come to him, but he hated to see her so upset. He wrapped his arms around her body, holding her there as she kept crying. He'd never seen her so distraught in his life.

"Hunny? What happened?" Zelos asked.

Sheena cried, "I . . .I lost them."

* * *

"_This is an unwanted complication_."

Undine wasn't exactly happy upon hearing what had happened in the forest. Neither was anyone else. Lloyd and Colette took the news with great optimism, hoping that Regal was all right or that Verius would come back. Genis didn't seem to be all that surprised that Verius finally ditched them. Raine was already planning strategies out for their next attack, trying to figure out how to operate with one member short on the frontlines. Presea was quiet about the entire situation, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. All of them felt a little scarred from the attack.

"I. . . I don't know what to do," Sheena sighed. "I want to do your test. I mean, you came out this far to help us, and then we had this happen."

Undine nodded, "_Indeed. I had a test already planned out, but it seems that we've got greater issues to deal with_."

Raine pressed one hand to her temple, "I just wish that Verius told us where Regal was. I'm sure we could retrieve him and complete the test."

"This is going to suck. Verius has helped us out before, and now that he's finally gone to the dark side, we're probably screwed," Zelos wasn't looking positively on the situation.

Genis's frowned, "Not to mention the ridiculous amount of time it'll take to find Regal. There are infinite numbers of dimensions out there, not to mention galaxies, nebulas, nexus realms. . ."

"Ugh, my head," Lloyd tried to keep it simple. "Isn't there some way we can take care of all these problems at once?"

Undine humored the human, "_. . .I suppose so._"

"Really? That would be great!" Colette got excited at the idea. "Please tell us what to do, Miss Undine."

"_Please, don't call me that._" None of them had ever seen a summon spirit blush before. Undine came up with her solution, "_If you are willing, I could trace the realm where your companion went to and send you there. I suppose I could even work a test out of it._"

Presea was interested, "Truly? Would you do that for us?"

Undine seemed a little uncertain, "_It's more difficult than I originally planned for your test. I'm not sure if you want to find out what has happened to him. It may be better at this time to go onto another spirit and test your strengths there_."

Sheena gathered her resolve, "No way. I'm not going to leave any my friends behind."

"_Very well. Your loyalty is commendable, summoner,_" Undine nodded, "_Prepare yourselves, humans._"

The summon spirit held her hand out, and water shot around the group. It sealed them inside a transparent bubble, and then faded out of the realm. There was a surge of blue water that rushed past them. Within a few seconds, the group could see a green, polluted lake below them. Undine landed them on the banks.

"Oh, for the love of Martel," Zelos crinkled his nose, "What is this?"

Undine explained, "_This is the home world of Oroku Toshi_."

Lloyd's jaw dropped, "You're—you're joking, right?"

"He really must have thought we were a threat if he wants to start dragging us here," Raine said. She stared out into the skyline, noticing feudal buildings growing around the horizon. They were bathed in an orange light that streamed and sank into the ground.

Genis sighed, "Something tells me this isn't going to be a cakewalk."

"_Keep optimistic. I'm certain you can do this._" Undine gave the group one final salutation. She then disappeared in a foamy splash of bubbles.

Zelos shook his head, "This is where we all die a horrible, horrible death, isn't it?"

* * *

_Splash!_

Regal coughed uncontrollably, his throat burning. He thought he'd lost consciousness for a moment, but he was now awake and thrashing. He'd fallen into a pool of something, and he didn't think it was water. It was too heavy to tread in, even for him. He slipped under the surging surface and tried to swim free.

A few meters away, his hands slipped across a crumbling pile of debris. He pulled himself out of the pool and onto it, shaking with mild shock. He didn't know what all happened. There were faint memories about a monster in the trees and then . . .darkness. Why would he have fainted, though? He didn't feel that ill.

Regal put one hand on his head and tried to regain his composure. There was something sticky in his hair. He pulled his hand back to see smeared blood on his fingers. Strangely enough, that made him feel better. He probably smacked his head on something, and that's why he passed out. It wasn't a nerve thing. With all that was happening around him, he didn't need to be getting panicked.

He stumbled to his feet and tried to find a way out. Looking around, he was shocked—there was no sign of an exit. It was dark, all the way up past where he could see. There must have been a way out. How else did he get down here? His heart skipped a beat as he thought of something horrible. Verius had . . . He might not know where he was, but that wasn't going to stop him. He'd have to find another way out.

He was about to investigate the room he was in when something brushed past his legs. Regal jumped away from the pool, now afraid of something else. Someone was down here with him. Finding the power to speak, he demanded, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

There was an awkward silence. Regal sighed and shook his head. He thought his nerves were getting the best of him. He gathered his bearings and stumbled around the island of rubble. There had to be a way he could swim out, at least. Liquid always had to drain to some other place. At least, that's what he hoped. He wrung out the edges of his clothes the best that he could and prepared to move on.

"_Where do you hope to run to?_"

Regal's skin crawled at the sound of that voice. He turned around and almost yelped. His voice caught in his throat, "Y-you. . ."

"_Scared you, Regal? That was my intent,_" the voice sneered back. Regal couldn't see what it looked like, but he could feel it slide past him again. It was oozing something from its skin. Whatever it was, it had to be huge—it crunched the debris as it moved past him. Regal didn't consider himself petite by any means, but he wasn't capable of destroying rock just by walking on it.

Regal tried to keep calm, "You know my name. Who are you?"

The voice blew off his question, "_That's not important, Regal. The matter we need to address is. . .your death._"

"I have no intentions of letting you take my life," Regal prepared himself to fight, even in the dark chasm. While his senses weren't as keen as Sheena's, he could fight blindfolded, if he had to.

The voice laughed at him, echoing off the walls of the sewers and ringing back into his ears. It snickered, "_Oh, goody. A challenge. I haven't had someone this stubborn in a long time._" It wormed past him again and chuckled, "_Most people give up at this point. Being tossed into an abyss with strange voices talking to them—they think they've already died. Makes my job much easier. But, you. . .hmm. . ._"

"Your. . . your job?" Regal asked. He didn't like the sound of that, "What are you? An executioner?"

That set the creature off into another fit of laughter. It smacked Regal on his shoulder, sliming him with whatever was on its body. After it regained control of itself, it corrected the prisoner, "_No. I'm a recycler. After your death, I digest your body and . . .well, reuse it. I take what I need for myself, of course, and then I deposit the rest of your remains into the soil._"

Regal was still confused. He wiped some of the slime off his body and tried to understand what was going on, "So, are you a . . .an animal? A plant? . . .A fungus?"

"_Animal. I just like to keep nature in balance,_" The creature babbled on, "_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, blah blah blah._" It paused for a moment, then chuckled again, "_The good news is, you get to pick your own death. Isn't that fun? I can make it real quick and smack your head the wrong way, or maybe drown you, or . . ._" It twisted a long, slick appendage around his body and squeezed, "_Or I could strangle you? Would you like that? I love the way they feel, the way a body starts convulsing a few seconds before it dies, and then—_"

"No!" Regal snarled at it. He squirmed loose from the creature's grasp, giving it a few sharp kicks with his heel. He collapsed on the ground and planned to dive under water, but the monster wasn't going to let him go. It yanked him backwards and smashed him into the pile of rubble. He wobbled from pain as he tried to stand back up, but he could only make it back onto his knees.

"_Fine. Suite yourself,_", the monster chuckled, "_You've still got your hopes. I can wait until they're destroyed. But you might want to be thinking about how you want to go pretty quick, Regal. I'm very impatient about these things . . ."_

Regal smiled; there was more than enough time for his friends to find him.

* * *

Author's Note:

Wow, that's a more polished chapter than I've done in a long time . . .And a little darker, too! I can honestly say, this is a little different than I planned, but damn. The gloves came off for this one! Seriously, I did try to plan this out. It just went off the deep end.

And the monster? Well. . . it's like Captain Planet, a granfalloon, and the Blob rapped up in one squishy package. Yee haw! That'll teach you to recycle.

Coin turtle, anyone? Okay, how about Michelangelo? (Totally, dude!)

Well, planeteers. . .I'm off. Leave me a letter and tell me how you're helping your community!


	19. Clogged Whirlpool

**Chapter Nineteen: Clogged Whirlpool**

The feudal city grew into the clouds around the travelers. There were so many people within the town, but it seemed like none of them notice the group. The ground was cobblestone, foul water draining into sewers below them. Other than the architecture, everything else seemed to be modern. There was a large, open-air market that ran through the city, and it was the best place to start hunting for their missing comrade.

Sheena looked around at the people, "I wonder if Toshi has told anybody about what he's done."

"It's possible that he is not prominent here," Raine flipped through some of her thoughts. "While he has the ability to travel back and forth through dimensions, he might not have come to power here yet."

Lloyd sighed, "That's great. The longer nobody notices us, the better."

"I wish we could get something to eat," Zelos's mind was distracted. There were several food carts around the marketplace. He sighed, feeling his empty pockets. The Chosen tried to put it into perspective—he probably couldn't eat anything here, anyway. There was no telling what could kill him.

Presea stuck to the task. She thought out loud, "I wonder what kind of government they have here."

"It's possible that a place like this would have a daimyo, but . . .I don't have a clue," Sheena shrugged. "There's no building that really sticks out to me."

Colette shook her head, "There has got to be something we can find." She kept glancing around, hoping some kind of clue would pop up. She looked back at her teammates. They all looked frustrated and upset. It was hard to know where to go when they couldn't even find their enemies.

"We've got to be missing something very big here," Genis refused to give up. He turned to Sheena, "What happened when Regal was attacked?"

Sheena frowned, "It all happened so fast." She stepped out of the way of the crowds, one hand on her head. The events ticked through her head, but nothing seemed important. She said, "All I saw was this huge blob thing, and Verius told it to leave and it disapp—"

Her foot stepped into one of the drainage ditches. Sheena pulled her foot back out, "Gross."

Raine's eyes lit up, "That's it!" She got down on her hands and knees and watched the small channels of water run into the sewers. "If we're going to complete a water test, we might as well go to a place with a lot of water."

"Y-you're joking," Zelos cringed. "You want us to go down into an alien sewer? I mean, I can handle the Meltokio one because I don't get my pretty feet wet, but—"

"Well, it's the only idea we've come up with so far," Lloyd shrugged. "It can't hurt to scope out down there."

Zelos made a face at Lloyd, "You suck."

"Come to think of it, I see a lot of these drainage places, but I haven't seen any manholes," Genis said. "I'm guessing that we're not going to be able to squeeze down the drains, so let's look for one of those."

The group continued to meander through the marketplace. Colette managed to keep bumping into people, replying with an "I'm sorry" every few seconds or so. They all took turns scouring the ground. One head would bob down, then come back up and another person would continue the search. Time dragged on as the crowds thinned off. They reached the end of one street without a sign of a manhole.

"This isn't good," Lloyd frowned.

Raine smiled. "Don't give up just yet. Let's go look in some of the alleyways."

The healer led the party back into the street. Her head kept glancing into every dark corner, but she didn't find anything. They walked past some larger men, then into another ally. There were two more men back here, both standing over a round, circular cover on the ground. They were both armed with naginatas, much like Toshi's first weapon. As the group approached the two men, they drew their weapons at the party.

Sheena shrugged, "I'll handle this." She went up to the two guards. "Would you let us check the passage you're guarding?"

There was a gruff snort from one of the guards. "I don't see why you need to go down there."

"We're . . .we're maintenance people," Genis spoke up. "We heard there was a seriously nasty clog down there, and we're here to fix it."

"Plumbers?" The second guard shook his head at the first, "They sure don't look like plumbers. No tools."

The first one agreed. He shoved the tip of his naginata in Sheena's face, "Don't move. You're under arrest."

"What?" Sheena couldn't believe what she was hearing.

The guard holding the weapon in front of her face yanked the ninja backwards by obi on her waist. Genis shoved against the second guard, trying to clear a path to the sewer entrance. He picked up the mage and flung him over his shoulder. Raine went up to protect her brother, but the guard knocked her backwards. He picked her up as well, flinging her over his opposite shoulder.

Lloyd grabbed his swords, "Let them go!"

"Resisting arrest will result in their deaths," the first guard informed them, holding a tight grip around Sheena's waist. "What will you do?"

The fighters all stopped, not knowing what to do. Colette shook her head, "Lloyd, maybe we need to surrender. I don't want them getting hurt!"

"This will be a hindrance if we can't go down there," Presea hissed from her teeth. "I'm certain we could take them down."

Zelos bit his lip, "This might be okay. They might take us to their dami—daymo—dude that Sheena was talking about." Sheena shook her head in embarrassment. It was bad enough that she and the Sages were being held hostage, but now Zelos was acting like an idiot.

Lloyd shook his head, "I can't let you guys get hurt." He put his swords away, "Okay. We'll come with you. Just don't do anything to them."

The two guards whistled into the streets. Several other armored men came in from behind the group. They led the party away in silence, keeping them penned in between their bodies. Presea cast one glance over her shoulder and memorized their position. When they got themselves out of this mess, she'd come back here. She was sure they were on the right track.

This test looked like it was going to be bothersome.

* * *

Igaguri felt the sun's ascension on his back. Old wounds smarted in the warmth of the sun, but he did not care. His face was locked in stone, stoic in his appearance. Inside, he could feel his spirit wilting. He would not let this persona escape him. No man could know his weakness, not in this time of dread. His only hope remained in the return of his granddaughter.

Footsteps scraped past his cell door. He did not open his eyes as the lock tumbled. His captor was coming to torment him again, no doubt. Deep breathes betrayed the man's presence. With the slits of a cat's eyes, Igaguri opened his own and looked up. He was not amused, but Toshi certainly was.

The sorcerer reached a gloved hand out for Igaguri, "_Come with me_."

"I will not," Igaguri refused.

Toshi chuckled at the old man's stubbornness. He was still unmoving as a rock mountain. He smirked, "_It is to your advantage to see what has become of your people._"

Igaguri stared into his soulless eyes, not budging for a moment. With a great surge of energy, he pushed himself off the ground and kept his focus. There was a sharp edge to his tone, "I have seen what you have done. You make my citizens . . .my friends into my enemies." He spat and flung one hand to the side, "They are no longer my people. They are your slaves."

"_Never the less, come,_" Toshi said. "_You will not like it, but you must know_."

Igaguri braced his hand against his injured ribs. He slowly followed Toshi out, more out of curiosity than demand. He could feel the entire tribe of Mizuho ebb away from sanity. The people's minds were not as strong as they had once hoped. To fall by the hands of some unseen magic was embarrassing, not only to him but to the spirit of the tribe. It was their duty to see through deception. How terribly they had failed that.

The sorcerer and the old man stepped out into the village. A blue and yellow spirit stepped out from the side of the building. It was Verius again. Igaguri couldn't look the kitsune in the eyes. He had betrayed his granddaughter. The old man didn't have to ask the spirit to know what had happened. He knew that it would be inevitable, considering his forced alignment with Toshi.

". . .good morning," Igaguri said and moved on.

The kitsune kept up with his master, "_So he knows about Sheena?_"

Toshi made a face. "_No. I have not told him how you botched my plans._"

Igaguri frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

"_I sent a little monster with Verius to take care of your granddaughter_," Toshi explained. "_He got jumpy after one of her other companions woke up before her. Oh, well. At least somebody's going to suffer today._"

Igaguri looked to Verius for confirmation. The kitsune looked away, his face set in shame. The old man wasn't surprised, "I wouldn't suspect any less from you. If I didn't know any better, I would guess that you're already planning another attack."

"_Sharp, for an old man_," Toshi smiled. He brushed pass the crowds of people meandering without purpose in the streets. Igaguri's body shivered as he passed by a families in the roads. None blinked at him as he moved on, almost like he didn't exist. There were no eyes that looked back to him. He shook his head, trying not to remember the people as they had been. They were lost in their own minds.

"_Stand back_," Toshi commanded. The group had stopped a few meters outside of Mizuho, where a small lake emptied. Verius stood next to Igaguri, making sure the chief could not run away. Toshi smirked and drew out a sword. It was silver and etched with blue veins. He bent down to the ground, studying the flora growing there. One flower stood out amongst the rest. It had a pale, almost moonlike color to it. He grabbed onto its woody stem and yanked it out of the ground. Underneath the plant was a metallic slit in the ground.

The sorcerer slid the Sword of Tengu into the ground. Something rumbled underneath the lake, and a colossal torrent of water shot up. Metallic walls grew up out of the lake, water gushing out of the windows and balconies. It grew for several meters in the air, then abruptly stopped. The water rained back down, slinking into the lake basin once more. Igaguri stood there, dumbfounded. He knew that the sword was powerful and had to be protected, but he didn't understand why until that moment.

"How . . .We should have known it was there. . ." Igaguri trailed off.

Toshi smiled again, "_You wouldn't have known, old fool. It is only made physical through a chain reaction_." He looked up at the structure, "_From here, I can start the assault_."

Igaguri snapped, "What are you planning to do? Take over our world?"

"_No . . ."_ Toshi chuckled, "_But it wouldn't be a bad place to start._"

* * *

**Bang!**

Sheena punched at the cell bars once more. Her fists cut open, and a small amount of blood slid down her knuckles. She hissed in defeat, pulling back from the walls. Raine took a moment to take care of her hands, scolding the ninja under her breath. They were all annoyed and perplexed by this turn of events. She never thought it would be so difficult to get into the sewers.

"Sheena, babe. Just chill," Zelos tried to talk sense into her.

The ninja snarled, "Chill? I'm pissed off. Those bastards didn't have to arrest us! What's the big deal?" She looked at her hands, "Where's my power when I need it?"

"Save you strength," Raine said. She sat back down and folder her hands over her knees, "We are on Undine's test, remember? It wouldn't hurt to have your power as a trump card."

Presea sighed, "If they did not take our weapons, I'm certain I could have gotten us loose."

Zelos made a face of disgust, "I never thought I'd say this about a guy, but I kinda wish Regal was around right now."

The team was discouraged at his remark. Lloyd tried to erase the doubt from their minds, "Hey, guys, it'll be fine. We just need to talk with their ruler, right? I mean, they wouldn't execute us without a trial or something."

"I don't know, Lloyd. I mean, we have no idea what kind of government this place has!" Genis disagreed.

Colette tried to keep optimistic, "Well, it won't do us any good to worry about it right now. We'll just have to argue our case!"

Genis scowled, "And if we lose?"

"Then we fight our way out. No big deal," Lloyd shrugged.

Zelos rolled his eyes. "Great thing to say in front of the guards." The guardsmen didn't seem to pay too much attention to the prisoners. They seemed all together bored with them. Zelos hated that about members of the royal guard. No matter where he went, they all seemed to be the same stale drone.

Another set of guardsmen came down into the prisons. They talked in hushed voices for a few moments. The guards that were originally watching over the prisoners nodded, then went over to the group. One of the said, "Come with us."

The prisoners were handcuffed and led out of the cells. Zelos kept fidgeting with his shackles. He hated the way they pinched around his wrists. The guardsmen flanked the group and ushered them up the stairs. They went up a few more flight before reaching an elegantly decorated hallway. The group walked through the halls, paper walls barely concealing the shadows that lurked within the rooms. It was much more like Mizuho than Sheena originally though. It almost haunted her.

A low man's voice beckoned, "Come inside." The guards led in the gang of prisoners without as much as a hiccup in time, unlocking their chains as they entered. On the wooden floor of the room sat a middle aged man, smoking tobacco through a red mask on his face. Two women stood by his side, faces covered with a similar mask. The man waved his hand, "Leave the prisoners here. I wish to question them."

The guardsmen did so, locking the door behind them as they left. The masked man commanded, "Your representative, please."

The group looked nervously amongst themselves. They tried to settle who should speak for them. Genis and Presea backed out from the beginning, not wanting to talk. Colette tried to get Raine to speak for them, but she hesitated as well. Zelos volunteered, but everyone quickly shot his idea down. Lloyd nodded for Sheena to go ahead, and she sighed. If anyone knew how to deal with an oriental government, it would be her.

She stepped foreword, "I will speak for the group. My name is Sheena Fujibayashi."

"Sheena, hmm? Well then, Sheena, we have some important issues to discuss. . ." The masked man took in a deep breath, and then exhaled smoke through slits in his mask's nose. He hissed, "Are those real, or magically enhanced?"

Sheena crossed her arms over her chest as Zelos snickered in the background. Raine shut the Chosen up with a smack on the back of his head. The ninja regained her bearings, "That's not what we are here to talk about. Why did you arrest us?"

One of the maidens giggled, "Looks like she's no fun, your highness. You may as well get down to business."

The man sighed, "Oh, well. . .My name is Emperor Bentao. As I recall, you are charged with attempted trespassing?"

"To be honest, your highness, we didn't know the sewers were off limits," Sheena tried to argue.

Bentao slid his mask back to get a better puff. White smoke curled around his nostrils, "What are you? From the backwoods? You don't want to go down there. Terrible creatures live down there."

Sheena didn't know how to explain their situation without revealing too much information. She stumbled for words, "We. . .we're looking for a friend."

The other maiden spoke up, "Oh, my. Is he as cute as that red-haired one in the back?"

Sheena shot a dirty look at Zelos, who was pantomiming naughty expressions to the maidens. He stopped moving, sheepishly hiding behind Raine. Sheena rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the emperor. He was chuckling as well, somewhat of the same mind as Zelos. She couldn't believe what she was dealing with. She might as well have been pleading for their lives to a broom.

Bentao got them back on course, "This friend of yours. . . why do you believe he has gone into the sewers?"

"We don't know that for sure. But we don't know where to start," Sheena shook her head. "He was attacked by this big, dark colored. . .well, slime ball."

"You don't say," Bentao seemed unsurprised. He handed his pipe off to one of the maidens and thought for a moment. He shrugged, "There are beings that you speak of like that in the sewers. We tend not to see them often. They aren't aggressive, normally."

Lloyd peeped up from behind Sheena, "She wouldn't like, sir. Sheena's one of the most trustworthy people I know."

The emperor took his words into consideration. "That may be so," Bentao debated the idea in his head, "There are isolated cases of monsters taking people down into the sewers. Of course, we haven't heard of anyone coming back from them in one piece. That is why we keep the sewers off limits."

"I know this is going to sound weird, but can you let us down there?" Sheena asked. Bentao remained silent under his mask. Sheena sighed, "I know you can't trust us, but we've got to find him. We only need to go down there one time. Then we'll leave town as soon as possible. We won't trouble you any more."

The emperor crossed his arms in thought. Within a few seconds, he clapped his hands. One of the maidens brought him a piece of parchment and a writing utensil. He scribbled a few words down onto the paper, and then handed it back to the maiden. She gave it to Sheena, bowing afterwards. Sheena echoed her movements.

"This will allow you to collect your items and go to the sewers," Bentao smiled. "I had better not see you again, however. I may have you make you pay."

Sheena bowed once more, "Thank you, sir!" She turned out and left with her friends, studying the paper in her hands. They finally got to investigate what was going on. It was nice to have the universe work in her favor for once.

The emperor and his maidens stayed silent until the ninja and her group had left. One of the maidens then asked, "Why did you let them do that? I thought you killed people who tried to trespass in the sewers!"

"You're in danger of threatening our leader," the other murmured, "What are you thinking? Your brother Toshi would have never done such a thing!"

Bentao smiled, "Don't worry, ladies. The leader gets bored without a challenge. He'll get their deaths taken care of for us."

Miles below the building, the leader cackled as well. It was fun to watch the humans deceive each other.

* * *

Author's Note:

What a twist! Come on, tell me that you had to see that one coming.

Anyway, two things of interest really quick. I bought a set of Tales of Symphonia Gasaphon figures. They're cute—they came with Presea, Genis, Sheena, Lloyd, and Colette. There's also a set with Kratos and Zelos in it, but no Raine or Regal! WTF?! That's a sin!

Also, I finished up Tales of Phantasia. Not a bad game. Chester and Klarth (I refuse to call him Claus!) are hot. I think Morlia Gallery took a third of my game time, and I clocked in around 32 hours. If you ever wanted to know what's behind the door in the Toize Valley Mine, you need to do this side quest! Trust me, it's the next best thing to Niflheim.

. . .have you ever wondered what Sheena's real name is? There's something for you to think about until next time.


	20. Trickle Down

**Chapter Twenty: Trickle Down**

Everything had been dark and quiet for a while now. Regal thought he was losing his mind. He could hear the monster above his head scratching around, maybe digging into the ceiling. How large was that creature? He was wondering about several things about it by now. There was no real indication of its size. He hadn't even seen its entire body, but he could hear it chattering to itself on occasion. If he could see far enough out, he'd try to escape again. Sitting in the dark was not his favorite past time.

"_The woman's coming back_ . . ."

Regal's focus came back, "What?"

"_Oh? You want to talk?_" the creature chuckled. "_I figured it would take more time for you to crack. So, how would you like to die?_"

"I don't," Regal shook his head. He stood up and paced the debris pile, "I was wondering what you just said."

The monster laughed again, "_I was just talking to myself, you nosy little human you_." It stopped for a moment, then reached down with a tendril and slapped him on the back, "_You've been rather entertaining, you know? I might not want to kill you quite yet. It might be a riot just to let you dehydrate._"

Regal sighed, "Your mercy has no bounds." He walked towards the murky pool that the debris was floating it. It was so dark, little chunks of junk stuck in awkward positions. It was like it was trapped in honey, or something thicker. He knelt down next to the pool and brushed his hand across the surface. He felt nothing. With panic, he drew back.

"_Heh heh heh! Something wrong?_" the creature mocked him. It slid another couple of tendrils around his torso, "_What's the matter, Regal?_"

The ex-convict shook his head. He couldn't feel the monster's slimy touch, either. He frowned, "What's happening?"

"_Starting to figure out, aren't you? Something just doesn't quite fit?_" the creature was having too much fun with his shock. "_You've been like this for a while. I'm surprised you didn't notice until now . . ._"

Regal shoved the monster's tendrils off him, "What do you mean?"

The monster explained, "_You've lost your sense of touch. Your eyesight has been gone for quiet a while now. . .How's smell? Can you smell anything?_" It laughed again, "_I suppose you can't! You'd be nauseous if you could . . .I won't ask about taste. . .but you certainly can still hear, can't you?_"

"I. . .I don't understand," Regal said.

"_You've been contaminated, human,_" the creature finally told him, "_My blood has poisoned you._ _You're experiencing. . .what do humans call it now? Hallucinations . . ._"

Regal hissed, "Blasphemy. I feel fine."

"_Then try opening your eyes_," The monster dared him.

There was a flicker of orange in the back of Regal's mind. Everything felt warm and sticky for a moment. His lungs choked up, coughing loose a thick gunk. His pores began to bleed, thin trickles rolling down and splashing onto the debris. He placed his right hand over his left arm in order to stop the bleeding there. He pulled it back and saw no blood on his hand.

The duke's face blanched. He stood up and moved away from the debris again, stepping out into the pool. He moved across it like it was solid. Maybe the creature wasn't lying. He collapsed, uncertain what was going on. His legs felt too light to support him. The numbing sensation crept its way into his brain.

The monster poked Regal in the back again, "_Take it easy, Regal. I still want to have a little fun with you before you pass on . . ._"

* * *

"Make way! Coming through! Emperor's orders!"

Sheena grimaced as Zelos stomped his way back to the sewer where they were kidnapped. He had pushed his way through the crowds, somehow managed to find his way back, and was now tormenting the guards on duty. Genis was just as embarrassed as she was, face bright red. She should have never let Zelos take the paper. It could have been worse, though. At least they still had it.

The guardsmen frowned as they read over the emporer's edict. They gave Zelos a dirty glance, and then handed the paper back to him, "All right. You may pass."

They stepped to the side and pried the cover off the sewers. A silver ladder led down into the darkness. Sheena paused for a moment, remembering her dream. It seemed so empty down there. Her memories of Verius crossed her mind, and she felt a cold chill sweep over her. This was the way they were supposed to go. This is what her dreams were telling her.

". . .are you going to go down there or what, princess?" Zelos taunted.

Sheena snarled at Zelos, and then stepped onto the ladder. The metal was warm, almost in a comforting way. She descended down into the abyss, her friends following her shortly afterward. She stepped onto the slab below her and looked around. This was a sight she didn't expect.

"It's so clean," Colette gasped.

The sewers were lined with metal, wrapping around their heads. There were catwalks along both side, and grates drained a river of sewage between them. The water was blue, too blue to be natural. There had to be some serious chemicals in the sewage. Still, it was much neater than the group expected. It made Meltokio's sewer look ancient.

Raine murmured, "I wouldn't have expected so much detail down here. It looks like this is much more advanced than the city is."

"Maybe that's why they wanted to keep us out," Genis said, "We might break something down here and ruin it."

Zelos had to open his big mouth. "I bet this is where they do cruel experiments on humans!" He hunched over and pretended to be a monster, "Keeel meeeee. . . keeeeel meee!"

Presea shot him a look of disgust. "How could you say something like that?"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot," Zelos apologized, "Your sister. . .I forget sometimes that bad things happen to good hunnies."

Lloyd got them back on track. "Anyway. . . .How long do you think it'll take us to look through the entire sewer system?"

Raine's face paled. "It may be days, Lloyd. We're not even sure if Regal's here."

"He's here," Sheena said. Everyone looked at her with a confused expression. She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "I'm just staying positive."

Presea nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Sheena." She turned to the left and took the lead. "We don't have any time to waste. Let us continue."

Sheena followed Presea, Genis and Colette following her close behind. Zelos and Lloyd took the back flank while protecting Raine in the middle. They moved quietly down the sewers, watching for any sudden changes. Everything seemed perfectly fine. Even with the creepy blue water, everything was okay. Sheena felt a little disheartened. Maybe she was wrong after all.

She looked up and saw an animal floating in the distance. She jogged ahead of Presea, wondering what it was. A sharp, disgusting scent fluttered into her nose. It was decay. She held her hand over her face and kept going. After a few more meters, she stopped moving. She finally got a good look at the flying creature.

Raine moved to the front to see what was going on. There was a fish floating in the air. It was upside-down, eyes glazed over, gills unmoving. Its scales looked dry and cracked. It seemed like it died a long time ago. Raine recalled a few instances in the past where she fought flying fish, but she never saw this before. It was dead, but it still had the power to hover.

The body slowly floated in a counterclockwise orbit. Raine shook her head, "I don't know what to say."

Genis cringed as the fish continued hovering past the party, "I don't want to know where that came from."

"Gross. I guess this place isn't so great as I thought," Zelos made a face. He turned away from the hovering corpse and shrugged. "Might as well keep going."

Sheena shook her head and pointed further out. More dead fish were floating along, all belly-side up. It was a whole school of rotting fish. Some of them had pus bubbles under their scales, oozing out as they went by. Colette shivered, not wanting to see any more of them. They continued in their dazed spiral. Lloyd shook off his disgust and tried to move on, "We can't stay here."

As soon as he passed by the first fish, its eye cleared from its deathly gaze. The entire school flipped upright, all turning towards the party. The party drew their weapons and prepared for the ambush. Sheena was the first to move, swinging at the nearest fish with her ofuda. It twisted out of the way, hissing around her body and landing smack in the middle of the party. Zelos jumped on it, fueled by his own lusty ambitions. He struck it, the blade sizzling into the monster's flesh. That got his blood flowing.

The rest of the school started attacking at random intervals. One lunged for Raine, but she ducked before it bit. It crashed into the ground, landing haphazardly at Colette's feet. Almost instinctively, another one went after Colette before she could get a hit on its unfortunate ally. She held her defense through the attack, and all it could do was gnaw on her chakram. However, one managed to bite into Zelos's hand. He cussed at it, "Damn fish!"

Lloyd rushed after the nearest foe, but it was quicker than he was. It trashed in the air and smacked him in the face with its tail. The swordsman stumbled, landing in the river of sewage. Presea tried to help him, but another fish blocked her path. She took a huge swing at it, but in her haste, she put too much momentum into her throw. She staggered under the weight of her axe hitting the ground.

"Ugh, gross!" Lloyd was not happy about his situation. He wasn't a nancy boy like Zelos, but he didn't like crashing into the sewage flow. He leapt out of the water and spiraled in the air, "**Psi Tempest**!" The sword slashed into the fish, cutting off a huge hunk of its tail. Pus bled into the sewage.

Colette dodged another fish, "Kya!" She was starting to get impatient, "Do you think we could outrun these monsters?"

Raine shook her head, "I doubt it." With a graceful crack, she smashed in the skull of the fish that had attacked her. She reassured the flighty girl, "Give Genis some time. He should be finished with a spell in a couple of seconds."

"Sure, no pressure, Sis," Genis shook his head. "That's only if I don't get smacked in the face."

"We're counting on you!" Raine smiled, ignoring his comment.

Sheena saw another fish float in from the corner of her eye. She prepared her defenses and intercepted the blow. With a deflection that could have rivaled Regal's martial arts, she jumped on top of the fish and landed behind it. Zelos's jaw dropped, "Hunny! Where did that come from?"

"That was so cool!" Colette had a little bit more motivation, after seeing such an awesome move. She turned her attention to Lloyd's battle and decided to help him out. She pitched one chakram straight for the fish. Lloyd had to duck the attack, but it landed squarely in the side of the fish. With kinetics all its own, it yanked out of the wound and landed back in Colette's hands.

Genis smirked, "You thought that was cool? Watch this!" He aimed straight for a clump of fish in between Presea and Sheena. The spell sparked off his kendama, "_Thunder Blade!_" It cooked one of the targets, leaving the other two in less fried conditions. The dead fish floated into the sewage and drained away.

Zelos laughed, "Not bad, twerp."

"What's this? A compliment from the high and mighty Zelos?" Genis picked on him, even in mid-gloat, "I'll have to write this down."

Sheena couldn't believe them, "This is not the time for this!" She barely had the time to dodge another attack from the school. The ninja asked, "Now, could you all please help me out?"

"Can do, hunny!" Zelos always put it in gear for his lovely Sheena, whether or not she would thank him for his help. Another fish took the opportunity to chomp into him. He got lucky enough to bash the fish away from him with his shield. He was very glad to have that shield—sometimes, it got him out of more trouble than his sword did.

"Oh, whatever," Sheena sighed. She selected a target and smacked them. Her ofuda stuck in their face, peeling away with a smack of electricity. It reeled to the side, but didn't go down for the count. This was more irritating that she thought it would be.

Zelos ignored her complaint, "Don't worry, babe, I'm coming!" In his zeal, he slashed through another attacking fish. He cleaved it completely in two and jumped over the remains. Presea stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. He certainly could be useful, when properly motivated. It was moments like this, when faced with the paramount absurdity of her friends, that she missed Regal's logic.

Raine ducked another fish heading for her. Lloyd lacked some of his professor's grace, but at least he took his assailant's blow better this time. He felt his arm sting from its bite. The swordsman called over to Raine, "Could I get you to patch me up? I'm not feeling so good."

"Just a moment, Lloyd," Raine went into a spell casting trance. It would be a few moments until she was ready, but at least she was heeding the call.

Presea regained her bearings and attacked the school again. This time she was right on, cleaving into an otherwise unharmed fish, "**Devastation**!" She pulled a chunk of the floor loose as she ripped her axe up. The debris clattered back down as a huge gash of flesh slopped loose and slid into the ground. The fish's internal skeleton was partially revealed, but even the loss of its flesh didn't slow it down.

Lloyd gave Presea a thumbs-up, "Way to go!" He turned back and finished off his attacker, then rushed to Colette's aid. She was doing fine on her own, but he couldn't shake off an ominous feeling. Maybe it was a subconscious reflection on his past and how he lost her so many times. It did no good for him to think deeply in battle. He had to touch and go, and he couldn't do that if he was carrying the world on his shoulders.

"Ow!" Zelos shrieked. One of the fish had broken off from the school and ripped into him, biting into his left thigh. He smashed the fish with his shield, but it didn't stun the creature. He bit back more pain as Sheena took a genuine interest in his welfare.

Sheena reached out and shocked the creature. It wasn't enough to harm it, but it let go and dropped away from Zelos. She asked, "Are you okay?"

Despite his pain, he smirked, "If I wasn't here, that fish would have bitten into my gorgeous hunny instead. I'd rather bare the pain than let you be hurt!"

Sheena made a face, "Ugh. . .just go heal yourself. I'll take offense for a while."

Raine finished up with her spell. A bright light glowed around Lloyd, and his injuries healed shut with a soft fizzle, "_Cure_!" At least one of the two swordsmen were patched back up. He shouted and promptly got back to fighting, "Thanks, Professor!"

Unbeknownst to Lloyd, he didn't need to hurry right back to fighting. Somewhere between stress and excitement, Colette lost control of her powers. A band of fire swirled around her body and shot out around her chakram. White balls with kanji symbols appeared in the air, and they hovered around her like microscopic planets. She let them loose, "_Smoldering Mandala_!" The chakram slammed into the fish and more or less exploded it.

Lloyd stood with a dumbfounded look on his face, "Uh. . .wow."

"I think I went overboard," Colette blushed.

Genis agreed, "No kidding." He turned and popped off a weak spell, "_Stone Blast_!" It aced the fish that was attacking Presea, smacking it into the ground with a small debris blast. It wasn't as flashy as his last attack, but at least it cut the school's number down once more.

"All right. Let's get this over with," Sheena said. Only two of the school's force was left. One of them spat an acidic bubble at her. It stung a little, but it wasn't enough to slow her down. She swung at her attacker, but it swerved out of the way before she could hit.

Zelos laughed, "Give me a sec, babe, and I'll help you out." He flicked his wrist and felt the injuries in his leg heal up, "_First Aid_!" It wasn't enough to completely bring him back up to speed, but it could save him if he got caught in a bad situation.

Presea was faster to help Sheena than Zelos was. She twisted her huge axe around her frame and smashed it straight into its side. She ripped upwards and went flying into the air, "_Punishment!_" A gold flicker of light left a second mark on the fish. It collapsed in pieces on the ground. She barely landed without stepping in fish guts.

Lloyd rushed up to the last one, "**Sonic Thrust**!" His sword skewered the fish, stopping it before it had a chance to move. He scraped its remains into drainage pathway. Everyone paused to breathe for a moment, somewhat shocked that they got out without any more injury. Maybe they got lucky.

"Wow," Zelos sighed, "That was not cool."

Raine seemed at ease. "It wasn't something we couldn't prevent." She went to start fixing Zelos's wounds. She took a quick glance at Sheena's burn, "Do you need some help too?"

"Ah, I'll be okay," Sheena declined her offer. She smiled and glanced down the sewer passage. She couldn't understand how something that looked so dead and rotten came back to life. There were several details that were sticking out in her mind. No wonder Bentao didn't want them down here. It was about as bad as going into a graveyard full of zombies. The thought of one of her companions being stranded down here made her stomach turn.

Presea tried to spur them on, "Let us continue. We do no good standing here."

Nobody could argue with that idea. There was no way that they were going to get home if they couldn't get through one lousy sewer.

* * *

Author's Note:

So, I wrote most of this chapter in one night. Not gonna lie. It's about damn time, right?!

I set up a little document in Excel to help me roll battles faster, so that's why I got through so much so fast. And yes, Colette did insta-kill on accident. Didn't plan that . . .good timing, though.

And this is going to get a lot more freaky before I get done with this test. Don't you just love surrealism? No? How about sneak attacks? I can get you some of those. . .

The line between monster and man is going to get blurred pretty damn quick. Review if you like!


	21. Stagnant Pool

**Chapter Twenty-One: Stagnant Pool**

Metallic corridors stretched on for miles. The air became stale as the group proceeded down into the bowels of the earth. Steam burst from pressure valves, frosting the pathways with a veil of fog. The heat from the steam was starting to get to them. Lloyd wiped sweat from his head and stared at the sewage canal in the middle of the passageway. He wished it was a real river.

"This is really tough," Colette sighed. "I hope we see a change in the scenery soon. I'd like to know where we're going."

Zelos pushed his hair behind his bandanna, "Not to mention what this place is doing to my body. I think I'm going to faint."

"Pull yourselves together," Genis rolled his eyes, "Just think positive thoughts."

Zelos closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay. Sheena in a school girl uniform, Sheena in a swimsuit, Sheena naked. . ."

The ninja made a face at Zelos. She decided to blow him off, "Whatever. As long as you're keeping up."

"Are you fatigued?" Raine was shocked at hear answer. "You never let him get away with something like this."

Sheena nodded, "Well, yeah, but it's not like we can stop for a rest down here."

Presea went out in front of the group to scout around. She waved everyone forward. The lumberjack perched on the rim of the sewer, pointing out. They reached a door cover. It had a round wheel in the front of it, holding the door in place. It had huge gears that let the water flow in and out as well. Colette went up to help Presea pull it back. The two girls spun it around and cranked the door open. There was a blast of steam, and then the room became visible.

"Wow," Lloyd was surprised. "What do you think this place is?"

There were several shafts and iron columns that plunged down from the ceiling. They dumped their contents into a pool in the center of the room, which was churning like there was a whirlpool in it. The liquid was black like oil, but it flowed out of the pool bright blue. There was another door on the opposite side, shut up by another valve cover.

Raine slipped out in front of the group. "My guess would be that this is a filtering station." She stopped and smelled the air. "There's chlorine in here."

"Fantastic," Zelos said with a dry tone. "So that means. . ."

"I have no clue," the professor shook her head. "I was expecting this place to have some more answers. It seems normal to me."

Sheena shrugged off a fake sensation. She swore that the dark water looked familiar, but she thought she was just being jumpy. "Let's just keep going, then."

The party agreed and continued inside the room. They all passed by the pool, but Raine turned around and looked back. It was bubbling in the middle. It wasn't like a sudden explosion of bubbles, but it was a slow, steady pop. She stopped to study it. She wondered if there was a gas leak in the bottom of it. Then again, it did start up so suddenly. She kept spinning ideas in her head.

Zelos caught what was wrong first, "Wait a second. Hunny, what's—"

A grey, slimy tendril slunk out of the pool and yanked the professor in.

* * *

"_Got one_."

"Got one what?" Regal asked.

The monster arched down around him and laughed, "_Vermin. There's vermin everywhere in the sewers. A monster gets hungry, you know._"

Regal frowned, "I hardly see what good killing rats will do you." He tried to comprehend the size of his captor, ". . .I'm assuming you must be fairly large."

"_Rats? Who said I was killing rats?"_ the creature got another good laugh out of that. "_This is much bigger than a rat. . .much more satisfying. And yes, I am colossal. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how big I am . . ._" It got back on track, "_But would you like me to kill you a rat?_"

"No. That won't be necessary," Regal ducked out of the monster's grasp. He shuddered when he passed through it and didn't feel anything. How much was he hallucinating?

"_Okay, whatever_," The monster sighed. It paused for a moment, then asked, "_Do you want to die yet?_"

Regal snapped back, "For the last time, no."

"_Just thought I'd ask._" The monster's tendrils wrapped around him and poked him in the stomach, "_Why do you want to keep living, anyway? It's pretty pointless, if you want to be stuck down here for the rest of your life. Not much happens, except for the gratuitous killing, of course._"

Regal wondered why he felt the monster touch him that time. There was a flash in the back of his mind like his body was covered in slime. He shook the hallucination loose and focused, "My friends need to return home, and unfortunately, they can return unless I am with them. If I die, then they die as well, and so does our home."

"_Really sad. Touching stuff,_" the monster seemed bored with his excuse. "_Tell me, who are they?_"

"There's . . .there's seven of them, besides myself," Regal paused, unsure why the monster was asking that. "There's two children, three teenagers, and two adults younger than myself. Two of them aren't entirely human, but they act like it."

The monster smirked, "_Does one of the adults have white hair_?"

Regal felt the blood drain from his face, the second sensation he'd had in a while. It couldn't be . . . "Raine?"

A wave of terror sunk into his skin as the monster replied, "_Looks like the vermin just became a little more human, doesn't it?_"

The duke barked at the monster, "What have you done?"

"_Hey, hey, hey! Don't go accusing me of things I haven't done yet,_" the monster didn't like the sudden change in Regal's demeanor. It poked him in the chest, "_You'd better settle down, or I might just crush the whole damn lot of them._"

Regal gritted his teeth, but took a moment to think. He grinned, "You can't kill them without their consent."

The monster's tentacle reeled back, and then it slapped Regal on the shoulder. It roared with laughter, echoing off into the dark abyss. It gave him another good nudge, and then explained, "_Sure, I can't kill you. Your death will be completely ethical—to go into building other parts of this place._" The creature lowered its tone, "_But those intruders . . .they're impeding my efficiency. I have no qualms about killing them._"

Orange ooze flashed in Regal's mind again. He stumbled, feeling invisible threads traveling up his spine. Pain lanced through the base of his spine, swerving up and through every single bone. It pierced into his ribcage, forcing him to draw a sharp breath. He had no power to cry out. The pain drove into the base of his skull, and he clenched his teeth. His vision went white hot with the pain, and then darkened just as abruptly.

But in the blur of agony, Regal felt something incredible. There were thousands of creatures that the monster survived off of, all laced to and from his body. He could feel their mana levels, their subdued state of mind, and their strength. He sneered and got back onto his feet. He was starting to understand what the monster was.

"I'm a part of you already, aren't I?" Regal asked. "You're simply dragging out my death."

The monster sounded calm, "_Well, duh. Like I was going to let you know that I'm already using you. I didn't want your mind to snap. You're kind of amusing. Plus, it's more efficient just to let your cells make energy for me than letting you die right away._"

Regal understood, "There's thousands of us. But what does that make you?"

"_A King of Rats_," The monster finally gave Regal something to call it.

"Well, your highness, you certainly have no issues killing my allies," Regal turned the tables on him, "So, I have no problems stopping you."

For ten seconds, Regal's consciousness won out and hijacked the monster's brain.

* * *

Raine thrashed underwater, kicking at the tendril wrapped around her ankle. It was stubborn, unyielding even when her ankle pierced its flesh. She bent down to pull against it, but her head started feeling dizzy. She didn't take a breath before she was yanked under. Fighting the urge to pass out, she continued struggling against her assailant.

It was hard to see what was pulling her down. The water was turning into black sludge the closer she got to its body. She felt a heavy but unified presence of mana, like thousands of creatures were part of one whole being. She could feel her own mana starting to resonate in the same pattern. Whatever was down here was powerful, enough to shake her entire mana core off. She didn't know how to fight against something so unusual.

"_Hold on_."

Her head jerked up. Another tendril swirled around her and grabbed onto the one tied around her ankle. With a calm twist, it split the foe in two. It turned back to the professor and picked her up. This one was gentle, like someone wrapping an arm around her shoulders. There was a soft breath on her shoulders that made her zone out. She could feel the water pressure fading as the tendril brought her back to the surface. It was saving her?!

Raine breached the top of the black pool. The tendril lifted her out of the pool and softly placed her down by her brother. It retreated back under the surface, slinking away without as much as a splatter of water. Genis helped his sister back up, ecstatic that she was okay, "Raine! What happened?"

"I. . .I don't know," Raine replied. The way the tendril touched her . . .it almost felt like . . .

Sheena shook her head, "I don't get it. Why did that thing attack you, and then bring you back up?"

"It wasn't the same part of the monster," Raine tried to explain what she thought happened. "I. . .I almost think it was. . ."

"Now is not the time to debate this," Zelos snapped, unusually angry. "Here comes another one!"

Another grey tendril popped up out of the pool. Zelos took a swing at it, but it curved out of the way of his sword. A third tentacle splashed up and smashed at the philanderer. He tumbled out of the way, landing back on his feet within seconds. This monster certainly was persistent.

Raine scrambled away from the pool's edge and fired off a quick spell, "_Photon!_" Light particles singed one of the tentacles, blasting it back a few feet. The water splashed under the power of the spell, light splattering down on it like gold rain. The tentacle swung back and slammed into the ground. The professor stepped out of the way, now powered with a new determination. It wasn't going to drag her under again.

"Yikes!" Lloyd yelped as one more tentacle surfaced. It wrapped around the swordsman's ankle, but he slashed it away. "How many of these things are there?"

Genis hypothesized, "There's probably some kind of main body underwater. But it might be too risky to attack it directly."

"So, we have to scare this monster off? This is going to be a pain," Sheena sighed.

Colette tried to encourage her, "Don't worry about it!" She let one of her chakram go flying. The monster's tentacle arched around it and slipped into it like a ring. It shook the chakram off, throwing it back at the Chosen. She ducked as it went into the wall behind her. She gave Sheena an embarrassed grin, and then went to go pick it up.

Sheena leapt next to the pool and slammed one of her seals against the first tentacle. The magic charge rebounded in a harmless puff of smoke. She growled and attacked again, but to no avail. The tentacle had a thick, rubbery hide, and it was hard for her charge to piece through it. She tried thinking positive thoughts and went on defense. Colette's optimism might have rubbed off on her.

"I see I've got to everything again," Genis rolled his eyes. He bounced the ball on his kendama and shot out a spell, "_Fireball!_" The spell misfired and zinged completely over all three tentacles. He blushed as the spell fizzled out in the water. That was something that didn't usually happen, "Oops."

Presea kept her cool, "It's of no concern." She threw her full weight behind her attack and slashed at the monster. It shrunk out of the way before her axe slammed into the ground. She yanked it back out and sighed. What was wrong with their group? It wasn't like them to be so sloppy!

"Presea! Watch out!" Genis caught onto a forth tentacle rising out of the water. It turned to the axe wielder and flicked her aside. She landed on the floor with a light thump, but she was otherwise okay. She dusted off her skirt and prepared for the next attack. Doubt was clouding her mind, and it was making her careless.

Lloyd sighed, "Well, let's try this again." He ran past Zelos and went straight for the pool. He skewered one tentacle with his left hand, then began flurrying blows, "**Sword Rain!**" He yanked both swords back and slashed upwards into the air, "**Tiger Rage!**" By the time he landed back on the ground, the tentacle had fallen apart into a hundred triangular chunks. He grinned, finally getting the upper hand.

Zelos smirked, "Oh, great. I can't let Lloyd upstage me!" He turned to the nearest tentacle and charged it. He followed Lloyd's example, first stabbing straight into the monster, "**Sonic Thrust!**" He ripped backwards and slammed down from the air, "**Fierce Demon Fang!**" While orange fire spiraled around the tendril, he followed up with one final attack, charging energy into his sword and pointing upwards, "**Light Spear Cannon!**" White waves pushed the tentacle up and broke it into two pieces. The Chosen beamed with his success.

Raine shook her head, "Whatever works."

"_Indeed,_" the voice in her head agreed. She straightened up, fear traveling down her spine. It was the voice of whatever saved her. She glanced around, expecting someone new to be there. Shaking off the sudden chill, she tried to regain her senses. She wasn't hearing things, and she certainly couldn't be hearing _him_.

Sheena noticed the Professor's face blanch, "Are you okay?"

Raine nodded, "I'll be fine. Just keep attacking."

Nobody had to tell her twice. She ducked underneath one tentacle's attack and retaliated with another seal. She didn't do it any damage, but she repelled it fast enough to get out of the line of its attack. Colette took her place and tried to attack again. This time she succeeded, following up in an explosion of red hammers and electrical balls. The monster had been distracted by the sudden dual attack, and it was caught directly in her storm. It sizzled with the electrical attacks, and then fell limply into the pool. There was one more left.

"Let's finish this stupid thing off," Genis said. He popped another spell up, "_Indignation!_" A violet and blue sword of electricity shot down and hammered straight into the last tentacle. It exploded in hissing parts, sinking back into the mire. A deep groan escaped the pool, and then the rest of the monster dove away from the party. It had enough fun for now.

Zelos sighed, "Well, that wasn't so hard."

"This is just confusing," Sheena grumbled. "First, that stupid monster attacked us, then it saved Raine, and then it attacked us again! I mean, come on! It's got to be the most bi-polar creature I've ever met."

Zelos smirked, "Not including yourself, of course." The ninja threatened to punch him, but didn't follow up on that.

"I think Sheena may be on to something," Raine agreed, "I can't explain this without sounding illogical, but . . .I thought I heard it talking to me."

Colette seemed confused, "I never saw a mouth or anything. I can't say that I heard it, either."

The Professor nodded, "I may just be hallucinating. Whatever was talking to me was mostly short and garbled. It was like it was muffled. But it certainly didn't sound monstrous."

"Maybe the monster likes you?" Lloyd asked. "I mean, it didn't attack you after it got you back up."

Zelos almost fell down laughing. He clasped his sides and chuckled, "That'd be the kind of man Raine would get—a total freak! The monsters always go for the fair maidens!"

Genis looked like he wanted to bash either Zelos's head or his own head into the wall. He let his anger pass and tried to take care of his sister, "Just keep on top of whatever you're hearing, Sis. If you have a concussion or anything, I want you to take it easy."

"Thank you, Genis," Raine smiled. She turned to Lloyd and Sheena, "Should we get moving again?"

Sheena liked her idea, "Sure. We're not getting anywhere just standing around here." Both she and the swordsman lead the party into a new passageway. Raine stayed behind for a moment, thinking to herself. Genis stopped, wondering what his sister was up to.

"You okay?" Genis asked.

Raine frowned, "You sensed it too, correct? The monster's mana levels?"

He replied, "Yeah. They were really random. It felt like there were one thousand of them. But something felt familiar."

"I was afraid of that," Raine lowered her head. Genis thought for a moment, and then understood what Raine was thinking. He mulled over what to say in his head. The whole situation sounded completely irrational, but it made perfect sense.

"Part of that thing's Regal, huh?" He suggested, "We probably shouldn't tell anyone else yet. They might get a little freaked out."

Raine agreed, "They'll learn eventually. But if that monster keeps attacking us, we can't stop fighting back. It's better if they didn't know."

Genis sighed, and then nodded in agreement. The two half-elves walked away from the pool, neither of them looking back. It was like an awful glass window, and they didn't want to peer into it again. A part of them wished they could be as naïve as the rest of the humans, but they knew this was for the better. They had to start planning for the worst now, and hopefully no one would argue when it finally came down to taking the monster out.

It would have helped to see what the rest of the damn thing looked like, though.

* * *

Author's Note:

I updated again? Oh God! What is the world coming to?

Actually, I got pretty damn fired up about writing this. I don't know. I saw an opportunity and jumped for it. That, plus I think May makes me anxious and squirrelly. So, I'll transfer my squirrelly-ness to y'all.

So, yeah, the Rat King theme. True, he is a pretty awesome TMNT villain, but that's not entirely it. Apparently, these things happen when rats get disease tails tangled up in each other and stand acting as one entity. Freaky, no? Maybe you wanna Wikipedia it. It's a good ol' fashioned Legion or Granfalloon! Yee haw!

. . .and that totally was not Raingal. ACCUSE ME NOT! J/k

Uh . . .I don't know when the cowboys took over my computer. Anyway, catch y'all later. Pleas leave a review fortune cookie, if it so pleases you.


	22. Tsunami Strike

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Tsunami Strike**

The group proceeded through the bowels of the sewers without a word to spare between them. There was an awkward silence that none of them could fill. Zelos couldn't summon any words, which was the most shocking of all. There was little that could shut him up, but he fell silent now. The dreariness of the dark sewers was starting to get to them all.

Raine kept buzzing plans through her head. She didn't know when they would finally find Regal, but she suspected that it would not be easy to recover him. There was a good chance that whatever talked to her during the attack was him, but her logic kept finding faults and hiccups. Maybe she was simply hallucinating from the lack of clean air. But didn't Genis sense him too? How sick were they?

"Does anyone need to take a rest?" Raine asked.

Lloyd shook his head, "I could keep going. What about you guys?"

"There's no reason to stop," Presea said. "We've only been down here for a few hours. We might be able to keep going for another hour or so."

Zelos sighed, but agreed, "I think the fumes are getting just a little strong, but I can go further."

"They're getting to me too," Colette spoke up, "I keep hearing this huge rushing sound. It's almost like a waterfall . . ."

Genis raised an eyebrow, "Uh, Colette? Are you okay?"

Sheena stopped to think about what the girl said. She asked, "Where is it coming from?"

"Up ahead. Maybe a couple hundred meters or so," Colette shrugged, "Why?"

Raine picked up on what Sheena was trying to say, "You might be on to something. Your senses are more powerful than ours." She took the lead, "Let's keep going."

Everyone paused for a moment as she kept on walking. Zelos frowned for a moment, and then got a dirty glint in his eye. He brushed his way past Genis and poked Raine in the back. "Has it been me, or are you a lot more pushy than usual?"

"I don't see what you mean," Raine smirked.

Zelos grinned, "I mean, you're a lot more determined. You're really . . .hmm, how should I put this?" He cupped a hand to his chin and chuckled, "Fired up? Burning with passion?"

Sheena made a disgusted noise, "Zelos, just shut up."

"I-Indeed," Raine blushed. She hustled a few more feet in front of the pervert, "I think we should keep going."

"O ho ho! The plot thickens!" Zelos beamed. Lloyd and Genis rolled their eyes while he continued, "Will the smoldering, sexy professor make it in time to save her tormented lo—"

Sheena bopped Zelos on the back of the head, "Knock it off, would you?"

"I'm just saying! Wouldn't it be just poetically lovely if our darling Raine in fact did—whoa," Zelos almost started off on a rant, but he stopped when a new change in the scenery came up.

The sewage river originated from this point, a black waterfall that ebbed into the darkness. The problem was that it was flowing backwards. Currents shot up over the bends, running up from the abyss. Colette looked down into it and shivered. The only light that traveled into it was the little bit that glowed from her own wings.

"Defying physics?" Genis rolled his eyes, "This place gets weirder by the hour."

Lloyd bit down on his lip. "It's like the lights stop here. If this was a normal sewer, wouldn't there be more lights? You know, for service crews?"

"Precisely," Presea agreed, "We weren't meant to go this far. Whatever is at the end of this tunnel . . .we weren't supposed to see."

"So, that emperor guy tricked us? He wanted us to go down here?" Zelos started steaming. "Well, that's just great! We might be completely on the wrong track!"

Raine shook her head. "We're supposed to be here. It's likely that Bentao expected the monsters down here to kill us." She stepped closer to the precipice and sighed, "This waterfall . . .it's being driven up by a large force."

"Do you think it's being powered by mana?" Colette asked.

The healer shook her head. She closed her eyes, ". . .it's an artery."

Everyone was shocked by that. Sheena stuttered, "An . . .artery? Like, there's a heart moving this water around?"

"If we think about this entire sewer being like a body, it might make more sense," Raine explained her logic. "The monsters down here are like white blood cells flowing down arteries. They were supposed to eliminate us, but didn't. The water might be a by-product from the true monster's body. . .It's likely that there's a weak spot up ahead, most likely an organ."

Zelos dropped an eyebrow. "Hunny, when you went under, did you lose a few brain cells? You're not making a lot of sense."

The professor wondered how much she should tell them. She looked to Genis for advice, but he made a cutting motion against his throat. She decided to leave out the most shocking detail and told them what she knew otherwise. "When I was pulled under, the monster spoke to me. I believe it has some telepathic abilities. It spoke in many voices. . .it either has multiple personality disorder, or actually is made up of several beings."

"Creepy," Colette shivered. She forced herself to be courageous, "But I suppose we've got to keep going ahead. We've got to make sure Regal's okay." She volunteered to go ahead, "I'll scout around to make sure we can get down the waterfall."

Lloyd smiled, "That's a great plan. Zelos, go with her."

The pervert shot Lloyd a dirty look. "Oh, sure. Just because I know how to use my wings, I have to play suicide bomber with Colette."

"I would do it. . .but I think my wings were a one-time thing," Lloyd shrugged, "I haven't got them to work since we saved the world."

Zelos made a mocking face and mumbled Lloyd's response under his throat. He focused on his exsphere, and a flare of orange shot out of his back. Wings puffed up around his body. He leapt into the air with Colette and led the way, "Well, I'll have to guard you hunny. Onward!"

"I'm coming!" Colette cheerfully leapt in after him. Everyone sighed a little bit at the two chosens' zealousness. Some days, it was like the two of them were long lost cousins. They watched the pink and orange lights ebb into the darkness and fizzle out. The waterfall went deeper than any of them expected.

Presea's face slipped into a stoic expression. She asked Raine, "What else did you learn about the monster?"

The healer wanted to tell her the truth, but she didn't want to dishearten the girl. She turned away and glanced down, "I heard a lot of static sounds. It was tough to get any information out of it."

Presea wasn't completely satisfied with the answer, but she turned away. Sheena noticed the awkwardness between the two of them. Even if she was dense on occasion, the ninja could tell when people were withholding secrets. She knew that Raine wasn't telling them something. She dreaded to know what that was.

Just when the silence was about to get awkward, a voice called up from the bottom, "Okay! All clear!" Zelos and Colette buzzed back up. He warned, "Gotta tell you, it's not pretty down there. You might want a paper bag or something."

"That's fine. Just get us down there in one piece," Sheena commanded.

* * *

"_My master?_"

Toshi glanced from the window of his new fortress over at Verius. The fox had returned some time ago, but he didn't speak to the sorcerer until now. He could see a sad expression in the spirit's face. The beast didn't like what he had to do. Even when following orders, Verius was too defiant for Toshi's taste. He had to tolerate the kitsune's presence only a little longer.

"_I hope you have some good news_," Toshi grumbled and turned back to the view of the distant coasts. The sun was glowing orange outside. It reminded him of his own home. Nothing that beautiful was there, but that was what he was going to bring back to his people. Maybe some of them would wish to live here. There would be enough space for all of them to live wherever after the universe was wiped out.

Verius trembled, "_Undine . . .sent the group to your home world_."

The sorcerer hissed, "_What?!_" He snapped around and glared at the kitsune.

"_She did it so that Sheena's companions could finish their test as one group_," Verius informed Toshi. "_There's a good possibility that your leader will be wiped out._"

Toshi put on an iron face. "_The King of Rats? Well, it is a moot point now._"

"_Sir! How could you say such a—_" Verius began, but Toshi cut him short.

He explained, "_We have no more use for that creature. It is better off dead. There is no use in recycling a vestigial planet. It was only supporting a means to an end._"

". . ._I see_," Verius frowned. There was no use in talking further with the sorcerer. He was as heartless as ever.

"_Once I control this planet . . .this universe. . .the Sword of Kirin in unison with the Sword of Tengu. . ._" Toshi trailed off, "_Everything will be mine to dispense as I choose._"

The sorcerer was willing to sacrifice the only thing supporting his people to gain the universe.

* * *

The stench flowing from the lower part of the sewer was almost unbearable. It smelt like blood and sticky decay. Sheena put a hand over her mouth, recovering enough stamina to keep on going. The water had turned foul and black, contaminated by the filth down in this area. She stepped into a puddle on the side of the drainage duct and cringed. It was heavy and fitted around the treads in her shoe. A brief memory of the morning flashed in her mind. It was the same substance that made up the monster that . . .it made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Told you it wasn't pretty down here," Zelos tried to make a joke. There was a newfound heaviness in his voice.

Genis couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Zelos, are you . . .depressed?"

The Chosen shook off his anxiety, "It's nothing, twerp. It's just so hard to take care of the ladies without another manly guy around. I mean, you and Lloyd are okay I guess, but what would happen if I got knocked out or something? Who'd be around to back me up and protect my hunnies?"

". . . that is so sexist, I don't know where to begin," Sheena couldn't believe what she was hearing, "I can't believe you've still got a sense of humor when all of this is going on."

Zelos had a nervous tone to his voice, "I-I'm sorry, Sheena." The ninja looked at him with her jaw dropped. When did Zelos ever admit he was wrong. He sighed and turned away, "I think the darkness and the fumes are getting to me."

The group progressed for a few more moments in silence. Presea kept glancing at Raine, trying to figure out what she knew about the monster. Genis looked away from Presea, pained that he couldn't share his sister's secret. Colette tried to keep smiling, but as the corridor stretched on, it got tough to watch everyone be so down. Lloyd patted her on the back and kept leading the way. Nothing was going to stop them.

Well, except for the sudden tangle of bodies in the corridor.

"What is that?" Colette nearly shrieked. Lloyd jumped in front of her, guarding her from the sight.

Raine pushed her way to the front, "Hold on." She reached a hand out and touched the wall of corpses. She shuddered, then dropped her stance. They weren't quite as dead as she'd expected. Their minds were all humming with activity. It wasn't the exact same thought, but they were all very similar. The wall of bodies was very aware of their presence. Some of the bodies opened their eyes, all black and soulless. They even reached out to clutch Raine's hand.

"Sis, I don't think that's a good idea," Genis winced. The sight of hands all reaching out for his sister freaked him out.

"It's okay. Give me a few more seconds," Raine relaxed, and grabbed onto the hands. She could hear so many voices talking at once, but she could drown most of them out. There was a specific being she was looking for within the monster. She mouthed some words, but her voice didn't come out.

Presea was confused, "Professor, who are you talking to? I can't hear anybody."

"That's all right. It's speaking telepathically," Raine explained, "It takes some mana to do, but I think I can talk back with it."

Sheena followed, "So, it's kind of like Volt?"

"In a way. Now, I need to focus," Raine got back to talking with the monster. She was silent for a long time, rolling hidden words in her mouth. It almost looked like she was praying to the wall, the way her hands rested on it. She kept biting down on her teeth and clenching her jaws. Genis went up to his sister, but she shook her head. She looked like she was in pain, but she didn't need help.

No one moved as the professor kept arguing with the wall. Tears began rolling down her cheeks from stress. Zelos gasped, shocked to see the woman bent out of shape. Colette hid her head against Lloyd's chest, afraid to watch anymore. Finally, there was a sigh and Raine released herself from the walls. Sheena and Zelos braced the professor as she stumbled away from the tangle of remains. She was exhausted.

Genis hugged his sister, "Are you okay? You were scaring us."

"I'm all right," Raine struggled to speak for a moment. She shuddered, "We're very close to the core of the monster. If we cut through the wall and run, we should get to it."

Lloyd lifted an eyebrow, "How many of these monsters are there?"

Raine explained, "Just one. But it's made out of a bunch of creatures." She turned her attention back to Genis, "Before we attack, they need to know about what I heard earlier."

"Oh, no," Genis frowned, "What you heard was—" His sister nodded, and he shook his head, "Great. That doesn't make it any easier."

"Just tell us the truth," Colette didn't like the sound of it, "We'll have to work around whatever problem is going on."

Genis sucked in air through his teeth and explained, "Earlier, when the monster saved Raine, she thought she heard Regal talk to her." He drummed his fingers against his arms, "If I think I know what Raine's talking about then . . . Regal's a part of the monster."

Zelos looked like a gigantic hammer hit him, "You've got to be kidding me. Like one of those things?" He pointed back to the grotesque wall.

"Not quite. It'll be easier to show you," Raine finally the strength back in her legs, "Let's cut through this defense and get straight to the monster. I'll work on getting him loose, and then we can kill this monster."

"That monster," Presea growled, "It will pay for trying to use him against us."

Lloyd was stunned, "Professor, you know where he is?"

"Not exactly, so be careful where you cut," Raine informed him. She didn't want to stall any longer, "Well, let's do this."

Zelos sighed, "We'd better win this time. I swear, if I have to repeat this crap, I'm going to go crazy!"

The group prepared their weapons and skewered through the wall of flesh. Lloyd exploded through first, chunks of monster flying in his wake. He gasped as he saw what lay beyond the wall. Half-whole animals peeled themselves from the walls, dropping down in slimy bunches. It was like a piñata of decomposing creatures. He nearly gagged at the sight.

Sheena pushed through after him, not paying much attention to the creatures. They were simply enemies, and she was ready to attack. She leapt from monster to monster, tagging them with her electrical power. Presea cut after her, following the distinct flashes of lightning. The ninja was marking targets for her to finish off. Adrenaline surged through her arms, making her shake with rage.

"What is all this crap?" Zelos asked, swinging upwards through an animal that looked lupine in form.

Raine explained as she bashed in the head of another creature, "These are all creatures the monster was living off. Do you see the orange ooze on them?"

"Yeah! It looks like mana," Colette nodded, "I remember seeing something like it when Rodyle kidnapped me."

Genis agreed, "That's right. So these things are bleeding mana?"

"Correct," The professor bashed in the head of a feline creature. She jumped over its body and continued, "The only reason any of these things are still alive is because the monster permits it. It wants them to protect him."

Sheena panted as she zapped another enemy, "It told you all of this?"

"No. Regal did," Raine smiled, and then clocked another beast.

Zelos laughed in desperation, "This can't get any weirder. . . no way!"

A new set of monsters swarmed at the group. They flew in from the top of the ceiling, leathery wings crinkled with age. Colette chucked both her chakrams straight up, slicing two of them in half. To finish them off, Genis cast, "_Air Thrust_!" Green swirls of mana tore the assailants to pieces. The group kept pushing on, hoping to rip through soon enough.

More foes greeted them, this time having a more human guise. Sheena moved slower through this batch, analyzing their faces. They all looked unfamiliar to her, eyes sunken into their face. She tagged them and rushed out of the way so she wouldn't get caught by Presea's axe. The rush of battle fueled her on. It felt like hundreds of them were coming towards her, but nothing could stop her. She was like a lance of lightning.

"Heads up!" Sheena yelled. She jumped on top of the monsters and bounced from person to person. She called out, "There's a big entrance coming up. Watch out!"

Presea and Sheena tumbled into the new room, followed shortly by Lloyd and Zelos. Colette flew from above, taking out one more foe as she entered. Raine and Genis got out of the tunnel last. The brother took the time to seal up the entrance, the earth's power rushing through his kendama, "_Eternal Grave!_" Stones jutted up from the ground and pierced into the ceiling. The tunnel monsters weren't going to be able to come after them now.

"_Ha ha ha! That was a riot, you guys, really_."

Hair stood up on the back of Colette's neck. She turned around at shrieked at the sight, "Kyaaa!"

A giant, vein-riddled blob of muscle and tissues was connected to the ceiling. It hung down low, tendrils running from the mass. Its body was covered with orange boils, almost like lesions. More tentacles ran from the base of the blob, notched and spotted with hair like a rat's tail. It was a gory sight to behold.

"Oh ho ho no . . ." Zelos grimaced. "What the hell is that?"

"_Another group of punk humans. Fantastic,_" The monster sounded equally as impressed.

Genis shook his hand, "That's humans and half-elves, smart ass."

Raine prepared her staff, "You know why we're here, right?"

The monster slapped its tentacles on the ground. "_No . . .you're here for my one thousandth, five hundredth, and thirteenth birthday party, aren't you?_"

"We don't have time for this!" Lloyd snarled. He pointed a sword at the blob of tissue, "Hand Regal over, now!"

"_I don't think so. I've gotten used to his crass attitude. He makes me laugh_," The monster snickered. It poked Lloyd in the shoulder, "_Your group caused a lot of damage to me. I think it's time I destroy you like the parasites you are._"

The monster coiled back its entire set of tentacles and lashed out at the heroes.

* * *

Author's Note:

Okay, okay. So I didn't update as fast this time. But I hope this is a better quality chapter.

. . .OMGs, not the Raingal again! (is shot)

In all reality, I guess I don't care about pairings. There are some I like better than others, but that's about it. I like teasing people with all sorts of pairings. It's probably why this story could be a Shelloyd or Shellos, depending on how you look at it. What is it, really? I'm not telling . . .

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature. . . (Review, if you would so like!)


	23. Toxic Waste

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Toxic Waste**

Sheena rolled out of the way before a thick tentacle landed square in her spot. Water splattered out from the channel in the center of the gargantuan room, leaving black bubbles foaming along the sides. She hissed and went up to retaliate. It was one thing to try and attack her. It was another to use her friends against each other like pawns.

"Get back!" the ninja yelled at the King of Rats. She reached out and tagged the monster with her ofuda. It exploded backwards with electrical charge, flailing in the air for a brief moment. She hissed, preparing for the next blow.

The ninja didn't catch another tendril coming in from her left. Seconds before it could strike her, Zelos pushed her out of the way. Before she could chew him out, she saw the monster mercilessly pick him up and constrict. He could feel its grip tightening around his chest with every breath. He could barely squeak, "Little help please."

Zelos's pleas felt too distant to be real to Regal. The duke tried to take over the King of Rats' body again, but jarring information kept surging and mixing in his head. There was dark orange waste everywhere, shaking his vision violently. He panicked when he couldn't get control. For a brief second, he could see out beyond his body, but it quickly fell into darkness again. The monster was fighting too strong this time. There was a sinking feeling as he realized how difficult it was to try and help his friends in his state.

Lloyd dashed across the drainage channel, "Hold on!" He ducked under two tendrils heading for him and tossed one of his swords at the base of the tentacle holding Zelos. He flexed one hand, and ice crystals began to build around the tendril. With another slash, he yelled, "**Frigid Blast!**" The tentacle popped in three distinct chunks, dropping the gigolo on to floor haphazardly. Zelos didn't take the time to complain. He was just happy to be able to breathe again.

"Quit messing around, Zelos! We don't have time to keep saving you," Genis hollered at him. The magic finished twisting his kendama around and cracked off a spell, "_Flame Lance!_" A gigantic flaming spear struck the center of the monster, setting its skin on fire. It didn't seem to stun it for too long, but it took a nice chunk out of it.

Presea moved in front of Genis and chopped the tendril hovering around him in half. She swung in a circle and took another hunk out of it, "**Punishment!**" The King of Rats was not fond of the girl hacking him to pieces. He lashed out and flung her backwards. She crashed into Genis, sending them both into the channel.

"_It's about time you hailed the King, vermin!_" the monster sneered at the group. It snaked its way around Lloyd's legs and tripped him backwards. The swordsman landed awkwardly on the ground, smacking it against the rusting metal floors. It grabbed onto his ankles and yanked him into the air. With one final constriction, it crashed him into the floor. Lloyd's vision blurred, head bleeding from the attacks. It was lucky he didn't black out on the spot.

Colette ran to help him, "Lloyd!" The monster took her distraction to its advantage. It flicked Colette in the back like she was a fly. She crashed into the ground, scraping her hands and knees open. She ignored the pain and pushed on to protect Lloyd. Sometimes, it was to her advantage that she ignored her own pain.

"Uh, Professor? Got any plans yet?" Zelos called back to Raine.

She shook her head, ". . .I need more time, Zelos. I can't get a lock on him."

Zelos cocked an eyebrow, "Okay. . .she's not paying attention, I guess." He turned back to the monster and snickered, "Well then, swinging recklessly is it!" He took a swipe at the nearest tentacle, but it recoiled before he could connect. He sighed, finally coming to the realization that he couldn't joke around this time.

Sheena was coming to her own personal epiphanies as well. She was in way over her head. While Zelos was screwing around with one set of tentacles, another bunch went after Sheena. She tumbled under one strike, but couldn't get out of the way of the next several strikes. They drilled into the pit of her stomach, like thousands of punches. One tentacle flipped her back and pile-drove her into the ground. She screamed as she bounced off the floor. Her entire body wracked with pain as she passed out from the strike.

"No!!" Lloyd shrieked. He scrambled from his position, barely able to keep on his feet. Colette tried to warn him, "Wait, Lloyd!" It was too late—another tendril smashed into his back. He went flying across the floor, collapsing next to Sheena's body. It was all he could do to stand up. It felt like his entire body was going to shake apart.

Colette seethed with rage, "You—you—agggh!!" Pink mana burst from the floor, swirling around her body. She concentrated the rays and threw them at the King of Rats, "_Judgment!_" White light crashed haphazardly along with body, severing off a few tentacles. It wasn't enough to kill it, but it was enough for the monster to get her point.

". . .all right. I understand now," Raine finally had her plan come together. She whirled her staff around her body, whistling as it went through the air. She began lowly chanting, "_Gods of the Winds, I ask for your brief intercession on our behalf. Restore us to our complete forms._" With one final twist, green mana burst out of her staff, "**Second Wind!**"

Mint energy hovered around everyone's forms. Wounds began to fizzle shut, almost like peroxide was purifying them. Lloyd's vision cleared, and he finally got back onto his feet. Sheena's eyes fluttered open. The group didn't feel completely restored, but it was enough to patch them up. More importantly, no one was about to die. It felt like they could keep fighting.

That wasn't what the professor was looking for. She caught a flash of green light entering inside the monster's body. It was the target she was searching for. Raine barked out a new command, "Everyone! Upper left, thirty feet up!"

". . .what?" Genis wasn't following.

Raine explained, "That's Regal's location."

"Then let's get him back!" Sheena charged at the monster, now fueled by Raine's spell. She ripped through one tendril and bounced on top of another one. The ninja turned back to encourage everyone, "Let's get moving!"

"_Tenacious little bastards, aren't you_?" The King of Rats chuckled. "_Let's just try and see you—aaggggggghh!!_" It began to gurgle uncontrollably.

Zelos shook his head, "Uh, aggh? I'm not following."

One of the monster's tendrils started jerking around. It finally snapped into a zig-zag form and landed on the ground. Zelos shrugged, "Okay. Don't look the gift monster in the mouth, I guess." He jumped up on it, grabbing Sheena's hand as he ascended. He knew how to take a lucky break.

"What are you doing?" Sheena nearly jumped out of her skin as the Chosen kept leaping up and over the other moving tentacles. They were all off balance, shaking uncontrollably like they had a seizure.

He got her up to the base of the monster, and then asked, "How good are you with a sword?"

Sheena wasn't following, "I'm okay, but why do you—"

Zelos placed the Sword of Kirin in her palm. He cupped his hands and knelt down, "Jump, ninja!" Sheena shook her head and leapt into his hands. He pushed her up onto the top of the monster, and then slid back down the monster's tendril. She took the sword and embedded it straight in its body as she landed. Looking down, she noticed that if she'd stabbed two inches deeper, she would have killed Regal Bryant.

"What the hell?" Sheena gasped. There was a thick, orange cocoon wrapped around his body. It sunk into the monster's flesh, nerves running into it. Several other bubbles like that one dotted across its form. They all looked like boiled eyes. Getting control of herself, she yanked the sword out of its body. She ripped the cocoon open with her free hand, amber pus bursting everywhere.

Regal clenched onto Sheena's wrist and pulled himself out. His body shot to life with intense pain. Ripping free from the nerves running in his skin, he almost fell off the monster. Sheena grabbed him by his chest and jumped off the side. She tossed the sword in front of her, cutting through tendrils as it sunk into the ground. With a few graceful slides, she landed the two of them on the floor safely. She pulled the sword out of the ground and bolted out of the way.

The King of Rats regained its consciousness, "_You—you little bastards_!" It lashed out, but both Lloyd and Presea intercepted its attack before it could harm Sheena or Regal. Two tendrils pulled back in bloody stumps. The monster didn't expect the group to hold out for so long, especially after the devastation he caused them early on. It roared, "_That's it. I'm getting sick of your faces!!_"

"Just shut up already," Genis grumbled, "_Eruption!_" Fire bubbled underneath the monster's carriage, boiling the water below it. It withdrew its tentacles, all knotted up from rage. One set went after the mage, but he rolled off to the side before the he could be smashed. He made another face at the monster, and then regretted it as another tentacle smacked him around.

"I agree. I have had enough with this beast," Presea agreed. She hurled her entire weight behind one solid blow. She missed, axe striking the ground and taking a piece out. Her target twisted around her ankle and pushed her backwards. Regal buckled behind her, wanting to help fight, but stumbled a few meters behind her. His wounds were stinging stronger than he'd expected, blood landing in neat little puddles on the ground. Biting off the pain flowing around his body, he picked her up and got her out of the line of another tendril's attack.

Zelos jumped in front of Presea and Regal. He laughed, "Reg, you look like you're going to pass out. Just leave the hunny-saving to me." He lunged ahead, sticking his sword into an already severed piece. Spinning clockwise, he leapt up in the air and tore the tentacle apart, "**Victory Light Spear!**" He made another face, "See? I've got this totally under contro—Acck!!"

The King was not happy with the constant mocking. He smashed the Chosen aside and reached for Raine's legs. Colette tossed her chakram and a small red hammer, "**Pow Hammer!**" She left the creature with a small bruise and a few nicks, but that was enough to distract it away from the healer long enough for her to get a spell off.

Raine smirked, "Are you all ready? _Nurse!_" A swarm of summoned healers flushed around the party, restoring some of their health. It was enough to stitch them together, at least for a few more minutes. She cheered them on, "Come on! We've almost got it!"

Sheena leapt out first, dive bombing through the air into the center of the monster. Electricity jumped from her fingertips to the monster's skin, cauterizing her attacks as she went. She tore a gigantic hole in its side, one thick tentacle dropping to the ground. She rolled out of the way before it could crush her under its weight. She cart-wheeled under another attack, landing in the channel. It was hot with the monster's blood.

Regal saw one of the amputated stumps dive into the river after her. The wound started bobbing in a methodical pattern. "Get out of there!" he yelled at the ninja. She took his advice and splashed out of the drainage, clothes sticking to her skin. Seconds later, it erupted in a boiling heat. The entire channel bubbled with its rage, splattering against the group. A heavy fog settled in around room, blinding them with rust-colored mist.

"What's going on?" Lloyd asked. He stumbled through the fog and ran up to the monster. It was hard to see what was happening, but it looked like its body was contorting. There was a sharp sound, and then invisible waves blew the swordsman back. He shook off the attack and grumbled, "Now what's it doing?"

Genis frowned, "I think it's using telekinetics. We must have messed it up if it isn't attacking with tentacles anymore."

Lloyd didn't understand, "Teleki-what?"

"Just let me handle this!" Genis cast a quick spell, "_Thunder Blade!_" Lightning sparked through the heat and fog, striking the monster straight in the middle. It growled, the room shaking with its stress. Pebbles splashed into the channel, hissing as the water burned at them. It was like a line of lava that divided the party.

Presea pushed through the fog and ran up under the beast. She bounced off one fallen part of its body and slammed into it from above, "**Devastation!**" Swinging her axe upwards, she cut into its base two more times. Moon-shaped arcs cleaved into its flesh, "**Dual Infliction**!" She tumbled to the ground and rolled out of the line of fire.

"_It's about time you peons learned your place,_" the King of Rats laughed. It taunted the group, "_Regal, if you help me out . . ._" A dark sphere of energy engulfed the duke's body. It howled like thousands of small, shrieking animals. Regal howled as mana ripped out of his body. He dropped to the ground as the sphere assimilated into the King's body. Wounds in the monster's hide hissed shut, and some of the tentacles reattached themselves in the fog.

The King of Rats chuckled, "_Now, this is more like it!_" It thrashed out and struck away Presea and Sheena. Presea scraped her elbows as she landed, but Sheena managed to stay on her feet. The ninja glanced around her, trying to figure out what was going on in the chaos. The fog had gotten too thick for her to strategize with any one else. She hissed and tried to focus.

"No! Stop it!" Colette screamed. She threw both chakram at the monster, but in the fog, she couldn't aim correctly. They flew off in random directions, causing no damage as they returned. She wanted to cry, terrified of what was going on. She thought they finally got the upper hand. This wasn't the time to fail!

Raine called out, "Colette! Focus! This is not the time to panic!" She fought through the fog and went over to Regal's body, checking his pulse. It felt faint, but it was still present. She sighed in relief, and then wondered how the monster ripped so much energy from him.

". . .go. . .others," Regal clung onto consciousness. He kept moaning, ". . .don't . . .heal me."

Raine glared at him, "Are you insane? You're going to die if that monster hits you again!"

He shook his head, "It . . .will not . . .do good . . .please. . .go."

For a moment, Raine didn't know what to do. Indecision was getting her nowhere. She hated to abandon him on the side like this, but if she kept it preoccupied, there was a good chance that it wouldn't drain anyone else. She hugged him and apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Go," Regal spurred her on.

The healer picked up her staff and charged at the monster. With one swing, she released a spray of light, "_Ray!_" The beams hissed through two of the repaired tentacles, slicing them in half. She jumped up to the frontlines, landing in between Sheena and Zelos. Maybe offense was the only thing she could do.

"All right, Professor!" Zelos cheered, "That's using the power of love! How sexy!"

Sheena shook with anger, "This is so not the time, you pervert!" She charged the monster and tagged it with a handful of seals. She clouded its vision and lowered its defenses with her own spell, "_Serpent Seal!_" Reeling back, she placed one final seal on its body. It exploded with an unearthly moan, "_Demon Seal!_"

Lloyd snickered, "Pretty good, Sheena. But watch this!" He hopped over one of the attacking tentacles and struck upwards. Unfortunately, he lost his footing as another tentacle tripped him up. He squeaked as he hit the ground. Colette helped him to stand back up. Zelos laughed so hard that he too almost fell over.

"Would you guys keep it together? We need to get rid of this thing!" Genis yelled. He flipped another spell from his kendama, "_Cyclone!_" Green mana slashed around the beast, taking off the last pieces of its tentacles. All that it had left were stubs of what they used to be.

Zelos nodded, "Fine, fine. Here I come!" He slashed himself up into the air, taunting, "Hey, Kingy! You like it so friggen' hot? Then taste flaming death!" He released a blast of energy from the tip of his sword, "_Hell Pyre!_" The fireball exploded with power into the top of its body. It severed through the very ligaments of the monster, splitting it in two bloody chunks of flesh.

The monster began to dissipate into a mass of goo. It still fought its own demise, bursting a wave of telekinetic power at the party. There was a giant glowing orb in the center, almost like an orange and green eye. Thousands of voices echoed as it spoke, "_I wiLL NoTTT beEEEE sOOooOOOoo eaSIly dealt WITH_!" It sounded like it had a stroke, or some other kind of brain damage. It blasted everyone back a few meters, but it wasn't enough to deter them. They were going to nail its ass to the wall.

Presea fought through the telekinetic attacks and stood straight in the center of its mass. She snarled as she made the final blow, "Be absorbed by hell that you came from." With one swift throw, she tossed her axe straight into the glowing orb. It splattered into two halves. The entire monster dropped loose from the ceiling, unclogging centuries of plumbing that it lived in. Water flooded the entire room, pushing everyone away from the monster's corpse. It splattered into hundreds of chunks, making the room little better than gore soup.

Finally, the King of Rats had fallen.

Raine would have taken the time to stop and analyze what was happening, but her brain was spinning. She splashed through the floods to where she left Regal. Pulling him out of the mess, she called for help, "Colette!"

"I'm on it, Professor," Colette flew over the flood. She landed next to the professor and picked him up. He groaned an apology, but it was too soft for anyone else to hear. She smiled and replied, "It's okay! It's what friends do."

"Uh, I hate to put a damper on the happy reunion, but. . . we're going to drown," Zelos pointed out. The water was already up to his waist.

Sheena nodded, "That's a good point, Zelos." She held out one of her ofuda and called out for help, "Undine!"

There was a flash of blue mana, and then the spirit of water appeared. As calm as ever, she asked, "_Congratulations on finishing your test. Now, how may I help you_?"

"Get us out of here before we drown!" Sheena commanded.

Undine smiled, "_As you wish._" She pulled back and hand and encased everyone in an aqua sphere. They spun out of the room, leaving the hunks of gore that used to be the planet's only source of power. The floods rose and backed up the rest of the plumbing, now unregulated by the King's control. It surged through the entire sewer, rending everything into a bloody mess.

On top of the streets, the manholes backed up and rained the remains of the King of Rats.

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry if that chapter went on and on and on and on and—you get the picture. I was just having too much fun with that fight scene! Ooo, baby! Haven't written one that good in a while.

I think I've talked about my writing system for battles before. Basically, I have a chessboard and some pieces on it, and I move them around and roll dice to see what happens. This is the first battle in a long time where a lot of critical hits were happening—and they were being made by the enemy! AGGH! That friggen' monster kept cheese-whizzing everything. But it did make good drama, I guess.

That would be a terrible death, to drown in cheese whiz . . . .

So, maybe this chapter was a little more . . .out of character than I usually go. Maybe a lot. So it was ridiculously gory. So I touched on the Raingal thing again. So Genis got a little too pissed off. I had fun. Hopefully, you did too.

Please drop a comment card in the box to ridicule/laugh at me.


	24. Fate Unseen

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Fate Unseen**

There were few options left to Igaguri now. He considered what he could do to help Sheena slow down Toshi's invasion, but everything he thought of kept backfiring. It wouldn't be hard for him to escape from his own dungeons. That would be the easiest part. The old man lacked stamina for any other task. He could fight his way through any cronies that Toshi could assemble. But against the Sword of Tengu, he had little chance of survival, never the less victory. His wounds were keeping him here, not the iron bars.

Igaguri thought about the people from his tribe. None of them seemed like they could help him. Most of them were wandering about life in a half-zombified state. If they did have any sense, they certainly would have run away from this disaster. None of them could beat Toshi, not without a weapon to rival his own. He could only hope for Sheena's return.

The old man heard somebody coming down the hall. It was probably Toshi coming to torment him again. He shook his head and went back to his thoughts. Would could have helped him, anyway? He was certain that he saw Tiga in the masses. There could be ninja returning from their own missions, but he doubted they'd stay. Kuchinawa was out of the picture, since his disgraceful defeat at Sheena's hands. And his brother Orochi—

—was standing in front of his cell door.

"Hello, Igaguri-sama," the blue-clad ninja softly spoke. "I didn't think you enjoyed such accommodations."

Igaguri whispered back, "Get out of here. What are you doing?"

Orochi explained, "I came back from my mission. The entire village—what has happened? Where is Sheena-chan?"

"I wish I was at liberty to tell you, but I cannot. You must leave," Igaguri demanded, "Do you understand what he will do to you if he finds you?"

"Who's he? That large man with the glowing sword and the naginata?" Orochi asked. "I saw him on the way here. Luckily, he is not good as spotting a ninja in hiding. What was that fox with him?"

Igaguri shook his head, "There is little time to explain." He looked back up, "Do you want to help me?"

Orochi sharply nodded, "Of course."

"Run. Hide in the Gaoracchia Forest. Wait for Sheena to return," Igaguri told him. "You may be able to help her, when the time is right."

"I . . .do not understand," Orochi was confused, "But I will follow your orders."

Igaguri, "Good. Now, leave."

The blue clad ninja bowed, and then disappeared in a tuft of smoke. Igaguri could hear calm, trained footsteps walk away from his cell. There was a soft swivel of a door in the distance, and then no more sound. He got away. Igaguri wished that he could move so swiftly. Old age was not as kind to him as he would have liked.

There would be vengeance. All Igaguri had to do was bide and defend his granddaughter when the time came.

* * *

Presea awoke, raising her head from the gray granite table. She was seated in a metallic chair, cushioned with leather pads. Glancing around, she saw no walls. There was grass beneath her feet, and the world expanded forever beyond her. She could see purple and red stars swirling in the distance, splattered with little white dots. It wasn't frightening, but she was still upset. Where were the rest of her friends?

"So, you've come to? I was getting impatient."

Presea turned her attention to a teenaged woman sitting across the table. She had short green hair, almost like it was in a bob cut. She was wearing a pink and grey vest, and a white skirt underneath that. She looked very bored, her eyes only half-open. The girl looked about as old as Colette, but there was something ruthless about her. Maybe it was the snide look on her face.

"Where are we?" Presea asked.

The girl lifted an eyebrow, "Well, isn't that obvious? We're doing the test right now."

Presea's heart fluttered. "Test?"

"Of course! The test that proves which summoner is more worthy of Shadow's power," the girl told her. "Don't tell me you didn't know you had to do that. Every summoner who wants to go intergalactic should know it."

"I knew that. However, I'm not a summoner. My friend is," Presea explained. She stood up, "I'm going to go find her, and the rest of my friends. They must be worried about me."

As Presea stepped away from the table, a chain snapped around her ankle. She looked down and saw an iron ring holding her to the table. She knelt down and tried to lift the table. It felt like it weighed over two tons. Yanking as hard as she could, Presea struggled to get loose. It was futile.

Presea growled, "What is this? A trick?"

"Don't be foolish. I don't know why Shadow wouldn't pick your summoner to perform this test, but it's your duty to fulfill your summoner's responsibility," the girl sighed. "You'll just have to take a seat."

"I've got to get back to my friends. They might be hurt," Presea tried to explain her problem.

The teenager shook her head, "You have no idea what's going on, do you?"

Presea's face went stoic. "No. Would you care to explain what's going on?"

"You're fighting me for Shadow's power. He has selected us to be sparring partners. Since I was the one to first seek for his assistance, I have already chosen how we will compete," the girl answered. "I'm not one for battles, so that's why I've chosen a game."

"Are you insane? I don't have time for some kind of game! I've got to make sure my friends are okay!" Presea growled.

The girl laughed at her distress. "You're just like a caged animal, aren't you?" She leaned forward and tapped on the table, "Take a seat. You'll find out what's going on with your friends in a second."

Presea didn't like the way the girl talked about her friends so calmly. She sat down, trying to read her face. She didn't seem like she was evil, but there was something off about her. Maybe it was the way that she was so cold and logical. Presea thought she was even-minded, but this wasn't one of the times where she could be relaxed. She couldn't stand thinking that her friends could be in trouble still.

There was a dark swirl of energy in the ground next to the two girls. Three-fingered hands pulled out of the abyss. The rest of the body surged upwards like a fountain of ooze. The figure reconstituted itself, and Presea could recognize it. Shadow had arrived. Maybe he could explain what was going on better than the girl could.

". . ._mistake . . ._" Shadow murmured, "_. . .wrong girl . . ._"

The girl across the table crossed her arms, "I would say so! This one isn't even the summoner! Why did you place her against me?"

Shadow didn't seem to care, ". . ._continue_. . ."

Presea's opponent clapped her hands. A huge battlefield appeared across the table. It had depths and heights, sinking into the table and rising into the air. It looked like a miniature forest, with mountains dotting here and there and some pools of water. She had never seen something so elegant in her life. It was hard to believe that this was a game board.

"What is this? Chess?" Presea asked.

The girl shook her head, "I doubt you've ever played something like this before." She rested her head on her hands, "There aren't any complicated rules. You move your guardians, and I move mine, and we see which ones survive."

"Guardians? But I don't have—" Presea stared at the board. There were little pieces set along her side of the table. They were uniform in shape, all like little bottles. Each of them had a unique color. She was beginning to piece together what was going on, "Is this—"

"Starting to figure out, huh?" The girl smiled, "This is a representation of another dimension. We're in one of the most outer realms. So, the best we can do is give our guardians directions, and let them duke it out for themselves. But we have to take turns."

Presea couldn't believe what was going on, "This is madness. I've got to get to them. They're going to be looking for me!"

"If you want to save your friends, then listen up. If you beat me, you get to keep your friends and you can do as you wish with my guardians. I'm sure you understand what will happen if you lose," the girl smirked. "So . . .shall we play?"

Presea growled and picked the pieces off the desk. The girl smiled again, "Good. Set them up in three groups, and let's get this started. . .what's your name?"

"Presea," the lumberjack mumbled.

The other girl introduced herself, "I'm Evelyn. It's nice meeting you, Presea. Hopefully, this won't take very long."

She didn't know quite what to think about this entire situation. All Presea could hope for is that she wouldn't end up on the losing end of the game.

* * *

Colette never realized how soft the ground could be. She woke up in a fuzzy haze. Her last few memories before her black-out were faint and confusing. There was a lot of water, and then she could feel her body being lifted up, and then she passed out. This didn't look like the place she had been staying for the last couple of days. She put a hand on her forehead. There was nothing she hated more than being confused.

She stood up and took a look around. There was a vast, rolling plain that was surrounded by leafy trees. She could see the moon glitter over a starry sky. Colette thought it was very beautiful, and if she would have had more time, she would have admired it. But she had other things to take care of.

"Right. Then, what to do?" Colette asked out loud. She paced for a moment, and then sat on the ground, "Where is everybody? This can't be good. I really wish I knew what was going on . . ."

She turned her head to the left and saw another person lying out in the plains. She got off the ground and floated over. It was Regal, passed out in a heap. She knelt down and checked for his vitals. He seemed to be doing okay. Several injuries still dribbled blood, but they were clotting up. They would need some work, but it looked like he was going to be okay.

Colette patted Regal's face, "Come on. Wake up." She sat back and sighed, "I wish Lloyd were here. I wouldn't be so afraid."

". . . it's okay," Regal came to his senses. He frowned for a moment, then pushed himself upright. His wounds burned, but he accepted the pain and let it flow into the back of his mind.

"Thank goodness you're all right," Colette smiled, "You know, I would have carried you until we found help, but I'm glad I don't have to do that."

Fatigue washed over Regal's face, "I'm sorry to have scared you." He glanced around, "Where did everyone go?"

Colette giggled, "I wish I knew." She stood up and offered him a hand, "Do you think you can walk for a little bit? We should go find everybody."

Regal nodded and tried to stand up. He stumbled at first, his knees buckled against each other. With some effort, he got onto his feet and stayed up. He took a deep breath and asked, "Which way should we go?"

"I. . .I wish I knew," Colette sighed.

"_Left_."

Regal's face paled, "Please don't tell me I'm hallucinating."

"I hope not," Colette fretted, "I heard it too."

The two stood there dumbfounded, not sure what the hell was going on.

* * *

Several miles away, another group of people heard the same echo. Its words were different. To them, the voice said, "_Straight_." It drifted into the sky in the same soft command. The order settled into the trees above them, and slunk its way down into the ground. It would have been awesome, if it wasn't so strange.

"Uh . . .what was that?" Lloyd asked. Usually, he was dense about these things, so he thought it was better to ask.

"Your guess is as good as mine, bud," Zelos sighed. The two of them had woken up a few seconds ago. He was thoroughly disappointed that none of his hunnies were in sight, but he didn't mind working with Lloyd. At least he'd do his share of the work, and he didn't have to worry about damaging his pretty face too much.

Lloyd took him literally, "Okay. Then, there are talking frogs around here."

"Tell me you did not just say that," Zelos shook his head. "What would give you that idea?"

"Well, I don't know! This place is weird looking. Maybe it would have talking animals or something," Lloyd backed his idea up. He crossed his arms, "Like you have a better idea, anyway."

Zelos smirked, "Obviously." He paced for a moment, and came up with an idea, "It's the call of the siren. Some nasty monster hunny wants to eat us."

Lloyd rolled his eyes, "Then you're not going to be any help against fighting it, are you?" He pulled out of his swords and started hacking through the lush forest. The vegetation was thick, almost like a jungle. It wasn't nearly as humid, however. The cool of the night wind ripped a good portion of the heat away.

"Hey. Keep that attitude up, and I'll let you do all the fighting. Without healing," Zelos made a face, "See how you like that."

They went deeper into the woods, uncertain what they were going to face. Zelos was hoping that whatever it was, it was at least aesthetic. Lloyd hoped it wouldn't make them lunch. Either way, they were ready to fight. At least they had that goal in common.

* * *

Unlike the rest of their companions, Sheena, Genis, and Raine were not left in the dark about what was going on. True, they didn't know about the voice, or the strange set of commands, but they had found something more interesting. There was a huge glowing bird in the sky, taking passes over the meadow that they were in. The three of them were watching it from a nearby thicket, waiting to see what was going on. It didn't necessarily look like a monster, but they didn't want to take any chances.

"Giant glowing birds, a weird new place, waking up without most of our friends," Genis shook his head, "Yep. This must be part of a test."

Sheena couldn't believe this, "I thought we would at least be told what's going on. I don't even know which gemstone we should be activating."

"I would have at least liked an opportunity to heal everyone," Raine sighed, "I hope the rest of our companions are holding together."

"I don't know. I mean, Zelos is out there on his own," Sheena smirked, "He's probably already gotten into trouble."

The group hushed down as the avian moved away from their position. It shimmered white against the dark sky, almost like it was made out of silver. Sheena kept watching it, hoping to get some kind of a clue. It probably wouldn't be too hard to beat, but she didn't want to risk going on the frontlines by herself. Besides, she didn't want to drag the half-elves into a fight and wear them out.

Genis murmured, "Anyone got any ideas?"

"_Engage._"

Sheena looked up. She could swear that it came from the sky. "And what was that about?"

"It almost sounded like—hmm," Raine thought out loud, "It was like Presea's voice."

Genis agreed, "That was Presea's voice! Do you think she's in trouble?"

"Cool down, would you?" Sheena sighed. "It might be a trap. Why would she want us to fight a giant bird, anyway?"

Raine couldn't believe what was going on in this place. "The entire realm's mana is nothing like I've ever felt. It almost feels too light to be real." She put one hand on her chin, "Well, what do you think we should do? We could be getting into a trap if we follow directions."

Sheena shrugged and whipped out an ofuda card, "Whatever. Let's give it a shot." She smiled back, "Besides, you can fix us up if we get in trouble, right?"

At that moment, Raine was afraid that Sheena had picked up a severe case of cockiness from Zelos. She gave up, "All right. But don't blame me if something goes wrong."

The group rushed out of the thicket and moved to attack.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Sorry for the lack of updates. I had half of this chapter written, then I had college finals, and . . .well, this got pushed to the back burner. My bad.

I have decided that after this story, I'm going to take a semi-to-permanent break from fanfiction. It's going to kill me, I know, but I'm putting my creative energy in other places. I got into a writing club at college, and it's hard for them to follow my current works (although they do like it). Also, I am working on a super top secret flash project. With lasers. And Arwings.

Never said it would go on Newgrounds. But I'll give it a shot. What the hell.

Plus, it's very difficult to write stories without maintaining loyalty to a certain pairing. I know, a lot of people write/read fanfics for certain love stories, and I get that. But I want to be at least semi-fair to everybody. I mean, hell, I could write more about Kratos, but most of my works take place when he's not in the party. And I guess I don't see any logical explanation to bring him back. Well . . .maybe I could for this one yet . . .but don't hold your breath.

Just remember. You're not supposed to know if it's Gesea, Shelos, Shelloyd, Raingal, Kraine, Gellette, Zellete, or even Prongal. (Don't know what Prongal is? Think about it—and no, it's not Pregal, or Resea, or whatever.)

Anyway. Please drop me a line to tell me what you think. I'm always interested in reader's opinions. You think I write this for myself? BAH!

P.S.--God, why does this chapter remind me of a Star Trek episode?


	25. Black Haze

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Black Haze**

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Sheena jumped forward and attacked the gleaming bird. It was larger than she'd originally anticipated—white wings stretched out as long as her body on both sides. She didn't take the time to pause, knowing that she'd never get another shot at an opening attack. A torrent of cards flew into the bird's wings, scattered in a random pattern. It faltered in the air, dipping one wing low. Sheena took her chance and leapt on the bird. With a burst of cards and a scream, she ripped into it, "_Demon Seal!_"

Raine was shortly behind the streaming ninja. She didn't know how strong her spells would be against the bird, since light billowed out of it constantly. The professor slammed her staff into the bird's talon with a might **thwack!** She was no martial artist, but she got the rush of joy from her attack. Maybe she should be on the front lines more often.

"Sheena, Raine, watch out!" Genis called from under his hiding place in the thicket. The ninja and the healer jumped off to the side, clearing the path to the bird. A blue glow erupted from Genis' kendama, "_Aqua Laser!_" Water rose seamlessly out of the ground and slashed through the bird like a samurai's blade. It reeled back in pain, annoyed by the pests on the ground.

The avian screeched, its entire body billowing with light. Its wings flexed, throwing themselves out to their full length. White spheres dropped to the ground, cackling with mana. Raine and Sheena were caught in the bombardment. Both managed to roll out of the field of the attack, but not without burns. The light seared their arms and clothing.

"You know, maybe we're in over our heads?" Sheena gasped for breath.

Raine rolled back a torn sleeve. "Keep it up. If we can distract it long enough, I know Genis can finish it off."

Sheena sighed, "Alright. I still don't know why we're following that weird voice, but okay."

The ninja spun back to rake the glowing bird once more. The light glaring from under the bird's belly was fantastic. It blinded her for a brief moment. Sheena reached out for the bird, but missed her target. She flung herself forward with her intense momentum, barely rolling under the bird's talons. She couldn't afford to make a mistake, not this early.

Raine decided against being as hap-hazardous as Sheena was. While the ninja toyed with the bird up front, she snuck behind it. With another might thump, she cracked into the bird's back. Tail feathers soared over her as it spun around, chattering in pain. It was bizarre how lovely the bird sounded, even in the middle of combat. If she had more time, she would have studied it.

Genis called across the field again, "Okay! Here we go!" There was a purple burst of mana, and a gigantic white lightning bolt danced down from the sky, "_Indignation!_" The bolt didn't hit the bird straight on. It lanced from the heavens to a nearby tree. The bird hadn't been high enough in the air to attract the bolt.

The half-elf whacked himself in the head, "I should have known. Grr!"

"Keep trying!" Raine yelled back.

The white bird became frustrated. Silver and gold feathers jutted out around the meadow. They were as hard as iron, shattering nearby trees with their power. One caught Sheena along the chest. She hissed as she pulled back, blood dribbling from her ribcage. Another slashed Raine in the thigh, but she managed to shrug off the blow. This was more of a risk than she was willing to take, though. She hated to admit it, but this was one of those times where she could use somebody like Lloyd or Zelos to take the punishment for her.

"I'm getting real sick of this!" Sheena growled. She shielded her eyes from the bird's brilliance and ran in for another attack. This time, her seal stuck onto the bird with a pop of mana. She flipped upwards and placed another seal, "_Mirage Seal!_" With a quick pull, she hopped on top of the bird and slapped another one to the back of its head, "_Life Seal!_" As she jumped back to the ground, green mana followed her. She could feel the wound in her chest hissing shut.

Another flash of mana charged through her body. She turned to see Raine finish off a spell, "_First Aid!_" She couldn't believe that the professor would risk being so close to the bird and cast a spell. Maybe she was worse off than she thought. The ninja sighed and prepared for another strike.

The ground underneath Sheena's feet rumbled. Spires of rock shot into the air, piercing the bird from all sides. Genis completed the spell with one dagger of stone in the middle, "_Grave!_" The bird thrashed in the spell's grip. It tore itself free from the enclosure, silvery liquid splattering from its wings. It was hemorrhaging badly.

Seconds after its escaped, the bird dove towards the ground. It crashed into the meadow, sending Sheena and Raine stumbling backwards. Somehow, seeing the animal struggling like this hurt Sheena. She couldn't stand fighting it. Most animals would run off if they were this hurt. What if it had a nest nearby? What if she was killing something's mother?

"I. . .I don't know if I should do this," Sheena hesitated.

Genis tried to spur Sheena on. He prepared for another spell, but focused on consoling the ninja, "You can't leave it like this, Sheena. Letting it bleed to death is cruel."

Sheena buckled. "Y-you're right."

The professor strode up to the ninja. "We'll help you do this. Are you ready?"

"I don't have a choice," Sheena shook her head. She grabbed onto Raine's hand, squeezing it for support. The professor smiled back, and then charged at the creature. The ninja leapt into action next to her. Both women sank their weapons into the bird's skull. Bone cracked under the force, but the creature still alive. It squawked in pain, just as confused as its assailants were.

Genis winced, "I'm sorry about this." He raised his kendama into the air and landed the finishing blow, "_Ground Dasher!_" The meadow tore open, instantly swallowing up the body of the dying avian. It screeched one final time, and then lay still in the earth and grass. Raine reached out to touch the creature, making sure it had passed on. At her touch, the bird's glow faded into darkness. Its form bubbled into purple smoke and rose to the sky. After a minute, there was no sign of the bird left.

Both half-elves turned to Sheena. The ninja was looking away from the place where the bird had passed on. She had her teeth gritted. Something was starting to gnaw on her soul. She couldn't explain why, but something felt horribly wrong about the entire situation.

"Sheena, are you going to be okay?" Genis placed a hand on the ninja's elbow. She nodded, but didn't seem to be paying too much attention.

The ninja pulled herself together, "I don't know what to say. Just . . .it felt wrong to kill that creature. Just because somebody—something told us to. . ." She looked up from the ground, "It's not enough. It's not right."

Raine crossed her arms. "Whatever that bird was, whatever that voice was—either way, we'll find out. We can't go rushing into these situations anymore."

"Right. No more blind devotion," Sheena nodded. "Next time we hear that voice . . .we'll just have to be more careful."

The two women left the meadow, satisfied with their debate for the present. Genis hesitated for a moment. He didn't know what to believe, "But, that was Presea's voice, wasn't it? She wouldn't . . ." He shook her head and left it be.

This was no time to have an argument. Until her found her, he'd just have to assume something very wrong was going on. Questioning the voice's commands seemed like the fairest option, at least for now.

* * *

Whenever life got annoying, Zelos tried to do his best to be cheerful. Sometimes, that led him further into his frustration. Like, about now, he could be home, sitting on his loveseat with a hunny or three, and maybe enjoying their company. Thoughts of warm chocolate and Sheena in a bathrobe were also encouraging. He wanted to think about anything but the mosquitoes biting at his arms and the gnats swarming around his head. He felt like the lord of vermin.

Lloyd was on the opposite end of the spectrum. He was happily chopping down vegetation, whistling as hacked a path through the forest. Every couple of notes, there would be another enthusiastic chop. Zelos broke out of his gloom to observe Lloyd. He was surprised that the swordsman wasn't rolling around in the mud or skipping with animals. He was the cheeriest lumberjack that Zelos had ever seen.

"What are you whistling?" Zelos asked.

Lloyd shrugged, "Some dwarf song Dirk taught me." He hummed a few bars, still slashing within time.

"Okay. Good then." Zelos brushed a hand through his red mane. Bubble baths. There was another luxury he missed. When was the last time he had a proper bath? It seemed like ages. That was one of the first things he was going to do when he got home. A lewd image crossed his mind, and then he wondered if Sheena liked bubble baths too.

"Thinking about Sheena being naked?" Lloyd laughed.

The Chosen blushed red. "H-how—"

Lloyd chuckled again. "Whenever you get discouraged, you always think about Sheena being naked." He chopped through another branch and added, "And when you're happy, and when you're angry, and when you're—"

"Uh, huh. I got it," Zelos frowned. He tried turning the tables on Lloyd, "It's not like you don't have dirty thoughts about other fine hunnies."

Lloyd smirked, "Well . . ."

"Lloyd Irving, you dirty wolf you!" Zelos hopped in front of the swordsman, "I can't believe it! And everything thinks that I'm the—oof!"

Zelos slammed into a trunk. He rolled off to the right side, ignoring Lloyd's laughter. Beaches. He'd have to get on a beach when he got back. The smell of the ocean permeated his thoughts. He wanted that warmth back. Maybe he could talk Regal into hooking him up with a sweet deal on a four-star room, once they got back.

"You think we would have found something by now," Lloyd shrugged.

"Found something what?" Zelos was dragged out of thoughts of scantily clad surfer chicks.

"Well," Lloyd explained, "I mean, we've been heading straight for a long time. That voice wouldn't send us out here without a good reason, right?"

Lloyd had a point. Nothing was going on, outside of the miserable insect bites and Lloyd's merry chopping. Zelos pondered this for a second. Maybe they were going the wrong way? How could they be wrong about going straight, though? He was tempted to drift off again, but he managed to focus. This was a serious problem.

"Lloyd, my buddy, here's what I think." Zelos put his elbow on Lloyd's shoulder. "We're men of our own fate, right?"

Lloyd scratched his head, "Well, yeah, I suppose."

"Then screw this whole going straight nonsense! I say we do whatever we want!" Zelos smirked, and then thought about what he said. "That came out a little weird."

Lloyd smirked, "I get what you mean, Zelos." He turned to his right and asked, "Should we go this way for a while and see what happens?"

Zelos agreed. "Sure. Why not?"

The swordsman gave him a thumbs-up and started hacking away in a new direction. He was whistling a new tune. It was a perkier and had a faster tempo. This, of course, caused him to be a faster lumberjack. This worked out for Zelos, though. As long as he didn't have to strain himself out too much, Lloyd could sing whatever song he wanted.

A brief image of insurmountable horror passed through Zelos's head. What was Lloyd thinking about that made him so happy?

* * *

Evelyn sighed as one of her pieces floated off to the corner of the table. It looked like a dove or a swan. It was some fragile kind of bird, anyway. The color had drained out of it in battle, and then it went black. Presea wasn't sure what that meant, but she hoped it was something good.

"What happened?" Presea asked her opponent.

The girl lifted an eyebrow under her green bangs. "You beat one of my monsters. Good job, I guess." She spent a little time studying the board, watching where Presea's pieces were going. Several of them were walking in random directions. Evelyn chuckled—her friends must be very dumb.

Presea frowned, analyzing the situation. "They don't trust my commands."

"Of course not. They're thinking too hard about all of this," Evelyn agreed. She tapped a few bottle-shaped pieces on the top, wondering what to do. She split a green and a blue piece apart from each other, urging them, "Head north."

Presea watched one group spin around in circles. It was the pink and red markers. She could only guess that was Zelos and Lloyd. She thought Lloyd would have at least known basic directions. Maybe she was being too vague. She didn't want to detail her plans out too much, though. Evelyn couldn't know what she was doing all the time.

The girl split another group apart, ordering them in separate ways. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Presea. One way or another, they'll have to do battle with my creatures." She stroked another piece, sending it along. "I'll give you one thing, though—they are good fighters in a group. You should keep them this way."

"Thank you," Presea accepted whatever she could as praise. "I just wish they could talk with me. I could help them more if they did."

Evelyn laughed, looking Presea straight in the eyes. "They would be so scared, Presea. You don't want to know what they are feeling."

There was a cunning glow in the girl's vision. She watched an indigo and yellow piece pass by on the board. She laid down against the table, watching them like a hunting lioness. "Now, these two here, see? You wouldn't want to know what's happening to them now." The girl tapped on a red bull-like object and sent it their way.

Presea's face blanched. "What are you doing?"

"You know the saying, Presea," the girl giggled. Her piece rushed after Presea's two, and soon, they were running as well. "Two birds . . ."

* * *

Colette kept moving further into the plains. It was difficult being the one in charge. Regal was convinced that they had just heard something weird and kept trying to find where the voice was coming from. He wasn't himself. Every hundred feet or so, he would stumble. It was the strangest behavior Colette had ever seen out of him. She didn't know what to make of it.

"We could stop, you know?" Colette paused.

Regal was glad for the momentary break. He sank to his knees, trying to find whatever power was left in his body. There was a flash of mana, and he felt strength returning to his legs. He needed to find Raine or Zelos. He could only recharge so much of his health, and then it would slip away again. It was bearable, but that wasn't good enough.

Colette hovered back. She sat down for a moment, hoping the break was going to last for a little while. "We could wait here. Or, you could wait here, and I could find help."

Regal smiled, and then wheezed, "Don't leave."

"Okay. Then we'll wait here," Colette smiled. She flopped back on the ground, staring up at the sky. The stars were beautiful, sparkling in uneven intervals. She couldn't help but think about all the nights Lloyd had spent up with her during her journey to become an angel. "Lloyd'll find us. He's always good at finding me."

There was the slightest of nods from Regal. His head throbbed for a moment, exhaustion melting through his brain. "It would be good to have him here."

Colette frowned. There was something wrong with Regal's tone. She didn't like the way he sounded, "You're not okay, are you?"

"We just need to find them," Regal closed his eyes and sighed. "Maybe. . .it'd be better if you did go find them."

Colette jolted up to her elbows. She finally figured out what was wrong with him. "You're—you're scared, aren't you?"

"No!" Energy coursed through Regal's body. He felt like he could run a thousand miles. He almost stood back up, but the energy left him. He shook his head, sighing painfully. He managed to scrape enough dignity to look at Colette. Her eyes drilled through the thin veneer of his defenses.

"No. I see," Colette nodded. She jumped to her feet, and bounced a little bit. "I understand!" She crossed her arms and smiled, "You're terrified."

"I am not!" Regal almost lost his temper. He shook as he stood up, teeth clenched together. The night air was cooler than he remembered. His skin burned hot.

Colette wasn't afraid of his sudden change in attitude. "You need help, but you don't want to admit it. You're scared that if I go out looking for others, I'll get hurt. You won't be able to protect me. Neither will Lloyd. I could really, really get hurt."

Regal sat back down, defeated. The Chosen went down to his level, sitting on her knees. She pushed his head up, one finger on his forehead. There was a fresh, warm smile on her face. "I can fly. I can fight. I can do it."

He surrendered a small smile, "I know."

"Besides!" Colette leapt back up. "It's not like you're going to be a lot of protection out here, either! You can barely walk!" She pulled a face, "What's wrong with you, anyway?"

"My mana feels abnormal. I think that monster—whatever it was—changed my mana flow," Regal explained. "It's like . . .it's hard to think, sometimes."

Colette was starting to understand. She smiled again, "I get it. Raine talked to us a little bit about it in class." She started to pace, pantomiming her teacher's movements, "Mana is important because it supplies energy to the entire body. Having your mana changed would be like waking up in somebody else's body." She spun back on her heels, "That's it! You're not used to your body because you were sharing a body with that big monster thing!"

Regal nodded, "That seems logical."

"Yes! I knew I learned something from the professor!" Colette beamed, jumping up and down. "You don't know how hard it is to learn from her, sometimes. One time, in math class, she started talking about inertia, and I was like, 'What's that?', and of course, Lloyd was no help. So, I spent nearly two days studying it, and you know wh—"

**Du-dun**.

The Chosen stopped her ranting. Regal stood up again, watching the forests around the plains nervously. Something was moving towards them. He swallowed, an iron lump caught in his throat. Colette drew her chakram, fire dancing around the edges of her weapons.

**Du-dun.**

Portions of the forest began to glow. Fire erupted out of the treetops, smoke twisting around them like a grimy halo. Colette gasped, not sure what that was. There hadn't been a fire before! She would have smelt the leaves burning from miles around. What was going on?

Colette squinted into the forest, trying to understand what was coming towards them. It was like—

**Du-dun.**

"It's made of fire," Colette gasped.

Regal panted, "What?"

**Du-Dun**.

Colette's hands trembled. "I don't think we can fight it. Regal, it's made of fire!"

Regal felt the Aquamarine in his pocket. "I can."

**Du-DuN.**

"You—You can't even stand up!" Colette pleaded with him, hoping some sense would snap into his brain. His eyebrows lowered, and he glanced at her. That look locked into her brain. It gave her a command she didn't want to follow.

**DU-DuN**.

"You know, you were right earlier," Regal half smiled and squeezed the Chosen's hand. "Do it."

Colette stammered, "I-I—"

**DU-DUN!**

Regal hollered, "Run!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

You know what? No more excuses. I didn't update for-hella-ever, and that was cruel to my readers. I hope this chapter makes up for it.

I did write this chapter in three hours, though, so sorry for any glaring grammatical errors.


	26. Thick Fog

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Thick Fog**

Presea studied the board, wondering what to do. There was a slight panic in the back of her mind, but she pushed it aside for the moment. A small chunk of the board was now burning in a simulated blaze as one of Evelyn's pieces had taken after hers. She must have her pieces color-coded by elemental properties. As for her own tokens, she could do little more than guess what each little bottle meant. She stroked the top of the white piece, deciding what she should do.

"You're wasting quite a bit of time," Evelyn shook her head. "Just make up your mind."

Presea smiled dryly, "I can't push them."

Evelyn rocked back in her chair and sighed. She twirled a short green strand of hair. "I don't know why you use humanoids, anyway. They rarely work in these sorts of situations."

"I have never played this before. I don't think I will ever want to again, either," Presea blew off the comment. "Is this a popular game, where you are from?"

Her opponent nodded. "I play it all the time. It's better than war games."

Presea's heart felt sick. She turned her attention to a purple piece and grimaced. "It's barbaric."

"It's only barbaric if you use humanoids," Evelyn countered. "Of course, not a lot of humans volunteer for these games . . ."

"My friends didn't volunteer. This is a sick joke," Presea snarled.

Evelyn kicked her feet up on the metallic table, inches away from the gigantic board. It was then that Presea noticed that the girl had a band clasped onto her ankle as well. She wasn't allowed to run away either? Presea wondered if someone had set her up for this too. She frowned, and then tapped on three pieces, "Left."

"It's better than us fighting to the death, don't you suppose?" Evelyn asked.

Presea agreed. "Just . . .I don't want to lose them."

"I don't blame you! Nobody wants to lose the ga—them?" Evelyn was surprised.

"You said you would get my friends if I lose, correct?" Presea studied a group of three pieces and then sighed. "I am not prepared to make that sacrifice."

Evelyn paused for a little while, studying the girl's face as she issued her pieces commands. She didn't expect her opponent to be like this. Yes, she knew that Shadow would put her against a formidable opponent. That's the way this whole struggle for power would work. She thought Shadow would have made her fight somebody nasty and ruthless, somebody that could have intimidated her, but she wouldn't feel bad fighting. She pitied the girl across the table. Stupid summon spirits. They always had to do something insane like this.

Presea's opponent shrugged, "Look, don't expect me to go easy on you just because there was some kind of mix up." She threw her hands behind her head, "But, if I do end up winning, and your pals are half as decent as you say they are . . .I'm sure we can come up with some deal."

The slightest of smiles crept on Presea's face. "Thank you."

"Shut up and finish your move," Evelyn blew her off. "I don't have all day."

* * *

It cut through the forest and broke into the plains at top speed. The body was scarlet and husky, like that of a swollen bull. The animal's head looked feral, mixing traits and horns between a bovine creature and something like a warthog. Its eyes were pupil-less, burning with an internal fire. Fire blossomed in its wake. The monster cracked its two flaming tails and belted a horrible roaring noise.

Thank the fates that Colette had left before the beast caught up with them. Regal didn't think the girl would listen to him. She had a way of being obstinate, especially if her friends were being overly protective. He couldn't see the Chosen over the burning forest, her pink aura obscured by the thick, black smoke. The air stank like charcoal and ash. He was glad that she wasn't here—she would get barbequed, too.

The bull bellowed again, and then charged him. Regal had only a few meager seconds to dodge the beast's full stampede. The field burned and crumpled under its power. It turned back towards the duke and blasted at him again. It wasn't as rapid about turning around, but its attack was still terrifically fast. Fire singed his arm as the entire bull's flank missed him by millimeters. The beast was too accurate for his comfort.

The monster was turning back to strike him. He had just enough time to squeeze in an attack. Regal threw himself at the monster, "**Wolverine!**" His kicks hissed as the water mana boiled against the beast's side. The metal in his greaves spiked in temperature, heat traveling through them in rapid flashes. Not even the Aquamarine's power was enough to keep his greaves from melting ever so slightly.

Regal clenched his teeth. He had miscalculated the gem's power. The bull was irritated by his attack, but wasn't so much hurt as it was annoyed. It was about as effective as a light shower. He'd need something of Genis's power to even slow the beast down. He growled to himself—this was a mistake. He should have escaped when he had the chance.

"Gaagh!" The bull had turned on him again, catching him off-guard. His reaction wasn't as fast as it should have been. Regal managed to avoid being trampled, but it bashed him with its bulky frame. He rolled out of the way before it could come back and finish him off. There was a sharp burn on his neck and shoulder. He clutched it, barely getting to his feet before the bull charged at him again. Smoke shot from its nostrils, covering the pasture with its dense form. It was not pleased, either.

Regal dashed for the forest, just barely dodging the bull's horns. It ripped into a tree behind him, knocking it over like a bowling pin. It shattered into so many splinters, more mulch than a log. If he could keep weaving in and out of trees, the forest would provide him with enough protection. Maybe he could outrun it. A twisted though crossed his mind as he ran for his life. Zelos could do this so much better than he could. The philanderer probably did this sort of thing for fun. He could outrun a pack of crazy floozies—one bull would be nothing to him.

More towering trees split behind him. The bull was relentless. What was wrong with this beast? It was like a sick machine, reaping trees and shrubs in its path. It bellowed again, a deep earthy sound that rattled the forest. Smoke rushed past Regal, sending him into coughing fits and obscuring his vision. His body was rebelling against this flight. He couldn't run forever. He would run out of energy or protection, and that would be it. Another sick thought ran through his head—what would kill him first? Would the smoke be enough, or would the bull have to finish him off?

He heard a whooshing noise catching up with him. That was it. He was losing speed. Smoke and flame choked the forest, embers igniting trees in their path. One crashed in front of him, taking out several other rotten trunks in the process. It was too large for him to leap over—it was like a wooden wall. He grabbed onto the bark, hoisting himself onto its girth. The monster was galloping behind him, almost breathing down his neck. Regal winced. The chase was over.

A pink flare of mana shot out of the smoke. It blind-sighted him, yanking him off the ground before he could fight it off. There was a sudden burst of speed, and then fresh air hit him like a dive into a cold pool. He coughed, shaking off an intense feeling of vertigo. It took him a few seconds to realize he had been spared.

"You're an idiot, and I hate you!" Colette spat. She had flung Regal over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Impeccable timing," Regal panted.

The girl was flat out angry. "You tell me to run, and you just stand there and almost get yourself smushed? You're—You're worse than Lloyd!"

"Oh, come now. I'm not that bad," Regal couldn't help but laugh a little. He tried to get her to calm down, "Did you find help?"

"No. I couldn't see anybody," Colette reported. Her anger flared back up, "You're a stupid idiot, and I really, really hate you!"

"You told me that," Regal nodded.

Colette bobbed her head, "Okay! Remember that!" She looked down, watching the billowing smoke continue to stream below them. "Is it still following us?"

"It has an unusual sense of direction," Regal said. "It's unlike any animal I've ever seen. Most let you go if they decide you're not worth the effort. This one acts like it's possessed."

Colette didn't like the sound of that. She continued hovering over the burning forest, pink wings spraying mana dust here and there. She didn't want to keep flying for much longer. Flying was a drain on her, and carrying around an adult wasn't a piece of cake, either. She sighed, "So, attacking it wasn't a good idea, was it?"

"You were right. It was not the most tactical decision," Regal shook his head. "It seems to be weak to water, but I don't have enough power to hurt it by attacking. I would think Genis would be able to do some damage to it."

Colette shrugged, "Well, sorry to tell you, but you're getting heavy. I need to land. Where should we go?"

Both paused for a moment. There was a new scent floating over the smoke and burning forest. It was salty and thick, barely hefted through the clouds. They instantly recognized the smell—it was the ocean. Colette smirked, bolting towards the source in a bright burst of pink mana.

"I would guess you have a plan?" Regal asked.

Colette smiled, "You said it was weak to water? Let's take it to the beach!"

Regal didn't know where she was going with this, but he kind of liked it.

* * *

"_Follow_."

Lloyd and Zelos stopped. The world was talking to them again. Zelos blew it off, promptly going back to moving around ub the forest. Lloyd stopped, trying to figure out what it meant. It wasn't directions this time. It was a clear command. Follow. What was that about?

He would have kept staring at the treetops if Zelos's voice hadn't broken his thoughts. The redhead boomed, "Hey, Lloyd! Check it out!" The swordsman shook off his feelings and followed Zelos. The Chosen one flung his hand open and proclaimed, "Ta-da!"

In the middle of the forest was an unusual patch of flora. There were tiny pink and yellow flowers sprouting out of the ground. It surrounded a small pool of water, which was crystal clear. Lloyd thought that was strange—there were no fish or frogs in it. Still, it was kind of pretty. It wasn't helping their situation, but it was a place to stop.

Zelos flung himself down in a bed of flowers, "Now this is the life, Lloyd." He crossed his arms behind his head, "Now, if you were a fine hunny, I would be set for the evening."

"Yeah, sometimes I wish you were a woman too," Lloyd grumbled. He sat down next to the pond and washed his face off. The cold water felt good, cutting through the sweat and grime. He wasn't sure he'd want to drink it, though. He had a strict rule about not drinking water he washed himself in.

Lloyd sat down for a moment, glancing at the stars. They were dazzling, but only in an empty sort of way. He couldn't help but feel impossibly alone, even with the blabbermouth around. How long was it going to take him to find the others this time? How many more times would he lose them? It felt like an eternal burden. He missed his dad and Noishe, and their quaint way of life. He even missed hunting for exspheres. The universe was a big place to get lost.

A pink flare of light flew over the forest clearing. It almost looked like a shooting star, except it seemed bigger. It didn't fly in a straight line, but seemed to loop and curl in the sky. It dove into the distance again, faster than a firefly but slower than a star. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what that was.

"Did you see that?" Lloyd asked.

Zelos nodded, "Yep. Made a wish on it." He rolled onto his side, "Don't ask me what it was, though. That'll break its magical mojo."

Lloyd shook his head, "I don't think that was a star, Zelos."

"Don't be stupid, Lloyd. What else could it be? A fairy?" Zelos shook his head.

"Well, no. I was just thinking—well, maybe we should—" Lloyd started tapping his fingers together. He winced, "Maybe . . .that's what we should be following?"

Zelos looked at Lloyd with a glance of pity. The county bumpkin was starting to crack under pressure. Not only did he want to listen to the creepy voice, but he wanted to chase lights in the sky. He rolled off the ground and patted Lloyd on the back. "I know you're scared and lonely, but you don't have to do give into the voices." He shook Lloyd by his shoulders, "You can do it! I have faith in you."

Lloyd knocked Zelos down with a shove to his chest. "I'm going to go check it out. You can just sit here until I get back."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, Lloyd Irving!" Zelos couldn't believe it. Lloyd had gone over the edge. "You get back here right now! Don't listen to the cuckoo voices in your head!"

It was no use. The swordsman was now running off after the glowing pink star. Zelos rolled his eyes and tried to think of what to say to stop the stupid kid. He gave up after a few seconds, resorting to basic threats, "Get back here, right now! Don't make me come after you! I will own you!" He stomped after the impulsive boy, not believing that he was going to hunt down the pink star with him.

The ground quaked after Zelos set his foot down. He had the awkward sensation that the ground was rising up. He yelped, grabbing his sword and running after Lloyd at top speed. The earth kept breaking up after him. Minutes later, a gargantuan turtle crawled up out of the hole it was resting in. The creature shook its back, sending leaves and flowers scattering. Many more remained implanted in its back, along with the strange hole that housed the pool. The creature looked into the distance with boredom. It sighed, plodding after the two swordsmen. It would be a while before it could catch up with them, but at least it could follow the duo.

It's surprising how much a turtle has to waste for time.

* * *

"_Left._"

Genis rolled his eyes. It was that voice again with another vague command. That was all he needed. Why did it have to sound gentle like Presea? What kind of lame command was "left", anyway? What would that accomplish? He hated when people weren't precise with what they said. He didn't consider himself stupid in the slightest, but he liked to follow well-thought out plans.

That's probably why he was so frustrated now. Sheena and his sister had no idea what to do, and neither did he. He loathed being at a loss for a plan. So far, the group had just wandered around the outskirts of the thicket, following the outline of a cliff. He couldn't see what was over the side of it. Everything washed away in a swell of mana. It was like the edge of a map, but instead of the typical "Here be Monsters" warning, it was just purple fog. He didn't like being around it. All it would take is one misguided step, and—

Sheena's hand was on his shoulder. "Don't get too close."

"Don't worry. I'm fine," Genis jumped. That trademark ninja silence had startled him.

Raine took a peek over the side. She smiled, "What do you suppose that is?"

Genis shivered, "I don't know, and I'm not sure if I want to know."

"It's a shame we don't have Zelos around here," Sheena laughed. "I'd just push him in."

Raine lifted an eyebrow, "You would not."

The ninja didn't seem to be too concerned. She shrugged, "That idiot knows how to fly as well as Colette. He could probably go down and investigate it."

"Knowing him, he'd just get attacked down there," Genis shook his head. He stepped away from the precipice. The site of the mist was starting to give him chills.

He looked towards the thicket. No, that chill wasn't fear. He could feel it reaching out to him, like an icy glove stroking his arm. He grabbed his kendama, watching the outline of the forest for any sign of movement. Raine and Sheena equally prepared themselves, not sure what was going on, but not wanting to be caught unaware. It was falling much colder, now. There was some significant force in that forest, and it didn't want itself to be seen.

It wasn't above bleating, though. It was a piercing, lonely sound that cut through the forest. The sound was raspy and nasal, like metal squeaking against itself. It cut off in a soft ringing tone like a bell. It repeated a few times, hurting Genis and Raine's sensitive ears. The short cry was strong enough to give them a headache.

"That's not a wolf, is it?" Genis asked.

Sheena shook her head. "I've never heard a wolf like that."

"It couldn't be. That cry . . ." Raine trailed off, trying to find their stalker. "It kind of sounds . . .cervine?"

"Raine, what are you talking about?" Sheena grumbled. She hated when the professor talked above her head.

Genis explained, "It's a—"

Sheena finished his sentence, pointed at the creature, "A stag?"

A light blue deer stood at the very edge of the thicket. His antlers were adorned with various bells and glass baubles. They rang when he shook his head, ringing like sleigh bells. He took a couple graceful steps out of the forest, calmly staring at the group in front of him. The deer sneezed, hazy clouds smoking out of its nostrils. He was majestic, in a haunting kind of way.

Raine drew her staff closer. "Anybody have a suggestion?"

The deer shook his head again and bleated that piercing howl again. The baubles in his antlers reacted, shining with a bright blue light. They refracted for a few moments like a diamond sparkling in the sun. By the time they had stopped jingling, a herd of stags shimmered into existence. The collective of deer drilled their cold gaze into the small group. It was like being stared down by a group of ice sculptures.

"Are you kidding me?" Genis whined.

The entire herd bore down on the hapless group. The group had choice but to run. The grass didn't bend under the herd's weight. The creatures almost flew, legs kicked back in elegant form. Sheena could easily outrun the pack, but Raine and Genis were not so agile. They panted, their limbs burning from the exertion. The terrain was not as easy for them to cross. Raine almost slipped on the meadow. The dew was freezing around them, leaving stalks rigid.

Sheena stole a glance behind her. She gasped, "What are they? Ghosts?"

"Most likely some kind of illusion," Raine leapt to the left of a rock. "They're really rather beautiful. It's a shame we don't have time to study them!"

"You're nuts!" Sheena took another heavy breath.

Genis glanced back behind them. The entire herd had no shadow. He squinted, trying to see if he could glean any information out of their pursuers. The herd of stags couldn't all be just one giant illusion. It would take an incredible source of mana to sustain something that large and fast. He doubted that there would be a mage that powerful toying with them. There had to be something real about the pack.

A gush of violet fog rolled up from the precipice. It was like a spurt of magma or a tidal wave. It whipped over the herd, passing over their bodies like a cloud. They ducked under the fog, almost like it was a ceiling. The animals knew that there was something wrong with that mist. One of them bleated in pain, followed shortly afterwards by the rest of the pack. That one had to be the illusionist. There wouldn't be such a universal lag if it was a normal group of animals.

Genis smiled. It was time to fight magic with magic. He yelled, "Get out of the way!"

Raine glared behind her, "Genis, what are you—"

"_From dust to the dust, I beg of the earth to take these creatures back!"_ Genis was half-way through his incantation before anyone realized what he was doing. He smashed into the ground with a blast of mana, "_Eternal Grave!_"

The earth ripped open with the power of his spell. Columns of rock shot out of the ground, and then toppled down on the herd. The stags bellowed, all disappearing in a burst of snow. One pillar blasted over his head, nearly taking Genis out in the process. He side stepped it, just fast enough to avoid being flattened. He never recalled a spell acting like that before.

The entire ground labored and shook under Genis's power. Whatever had become of the herd of stags was gone, crumpled under a mass of earth and stone. Raine saw what was happening, but didn't know how to stop it. Whatever was in that mist had amplified Genis's powers, sure—but it was going out of control. It was like a fire would rage on forever if it had enough fuel. The mist was using Genis's mana to sustain the attack.

"Get out of there!" Raine yelled at her brother.

It was pointless. The entire ground raged around the small boy, engulfing him. He threw a defensive spell up before the stone pillars could strike him, but it wasn't enough. The grasslands gave in underneath him. Mist shot up from the ground, ripping chunks of dirt out of existence. It was like staring into magma or the guts of a beast. This was the true nature of the world. It was all just a shell on a bed of corrosive mana.

Raine shrieked at the abyss. She rushed over to the collapsing ground, only stopped by Sheena. The ninja grabbed her by the arm and yanked her backwards. The professor tried to fight free, but Sheena wouldn't have it. She held tightly to the half-elf's arm until she ceased struggling. By then, only bare sloughs of earth remained. They were lucky to get out of the impact zone. They would have been swallowed up if they were any closer.

Raine stood up, barking commands, "We've got to find him!"

"Raine, how—" Sheena was at a loss for words.

"He's my brother, dammit!" The healer shook the ninja by her robes. "I can't leave him down there!"

Both glared back at the gigantic ravine. Another chunk of earth fell absent-mindedly down into the abyss. They shivered at the thought of all that ground being gone. Yet, it was strange how little they could see. It was like the pit just became mist after a while. Raine approached the side of the hole, reaching down. She hissed and pulled back her hand—the mist was still hot with power.

Sheena swallowed, closing her eyes. "I—I don't think. . .He couldn't . . ."

Raine bowed her head, "I know."

In one rare moment of despair, the professor began to bawl. She had failed her little brother.

* * *

Author's Note:

Relax. Drink some water. It's all just a game.

Let me know how you're feeling, okay? We'll set up another appointment soon.


	27. Endless Night

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Endless Night**

It was with a twinge of horror that Colette realized there was no ocean.

White beaches came into view, stained in splotches with purple. There was a roaring sound, and the smell of the sea drilled into her senses. But there was no ocean, no sky, nor any horizon. It all ended abruptly. There was a haze of violet fog that stretched up to the stars and devoured their light. It lapped against the shoreline, but did little more than ebb and flow. She couldn't get her head wrapped around it. It wasn't water.

"What is that? Poison?" Colette asked.

Regal's mind ground to a halt. "I don't know."

A roar rocked the terrain beneath them. The bull had kept up with them the entire time. They couldn't see it trampling below, but the tell-tale plume of smoke and ash gave away its location. It was surprising that it was able to keep up with them, even with its smoke blurring the landscape. Stories of ancient demons from the Martel religion started running through Colette's mind. The thought of something so twisted hunting her made her want to scream.

"Well, I suppose we're here now," Regal sighed. "You can still go, if you want."

Colette shook her head, "No way! That monster's dangerous enough for the both of us." She laughed, "Besides, what would Lloyd do?"

Regal agreed, "It's at times like this that we could use his foolhardiness."

"Yeah, he's really brave," Colette gushed. "Sometimes, I'd just want to give up, and—kyaa!"

A bright orange flare shot up out of the forest. The fireball soared past the Chosen, barely avoiding her. She was fine, but the thought of becoming a crispy angel was now a new threat. Regal was a little sick, not expecting Colette's sudden evasion. From this high up in the air, the ground started to look very far away.

The orange fire broke speed and turned around. It greeted Colette with a cheerful, "Hello, my cute little angel!"

Colette grinned, "Zelos!" She seemed as shocked as he was, "You're out flying?"

"Hey, I'm not making a habit of this," the redhead smirked. He kicked up on his back, lying on the air like it was a pool of water, "Although, I've gotta say, this high altitude stuff is pretty amazing."

"I'm glad you can say that," Regal felt a rush of acrophobia coming on.

Zelos got back on track, "Oh! By the way, Lloyd's looking for you."

"Really? That's great!" Colette smiled again. "Where is he?"

"Um . . .good question. He told me to take the high road, and—well, I guess he'd be following me, but, ah . . .Can you see him?" Zelos gritted his teeth.

Regal frowned, "Don't tell me he's down there with that beast."

Down in the forest, a deep bellowing sound rocked upwards. It was a horrible roar, like something out of the throat of a dying demon. Colette shivered at the sound, but listened closer. She could hear the sound of gigantic oaks and pines being ripped out of the ground. Tinier yet was a small metallic echo. The metal struck against something thick, and the howling noise blasted out once again. It was the sound of a scuffle.

Colette panicked, "Lloyd! No!"

"I guess I'd better look into that, huh?" Zelos wasn't looking forward to meeting whatever was down in the smoldering forest.

"Please, hurry!" Colette pleaded.

There was nothing more powerful to Zelos than a cry for help from a beautiful girl. He beamed, "Can do!" His wings burst with orange mana again, and he dove towards the forest.

"Wait!" Regal yelled at him.

Zelos rolled his eyes and flipped backwards, "Wait, what? Do you guys want me to save Lloyd or not?"

"Get to the edge of the forest, towards the mist," Regal ordered, "We'll deal with it there."

"Fine! Great! Will do! Goodbye!" Zelos took off in a flash.

Colette hesitated for a moment, wanting to follow Zelos down into the forest. She bit her lip and decided against it. If any part of this insane plan worked, she'd end up seeing Lloyd soon. The boy had a knack for keeping himself alive. She'd just have to trust in Zelos. She shot out of the sky and towards the coastline. The poisoned sand seemed a lot more welcoming now.

* * *

The giant metallic fortress was regaining its forgotten power. It lurched inside the lake, mystic arts fueling the ancient propulsion systems. The fortress was actually something from Toshi's home world, although it was hard to say how it arrived here. It was designed eons ago as a portable battle station, something that only the most powerful generals and gods of war could possess. There were myths about these fortresses, the most fantastic of which claimed that they could rip space-time fabric asunder. To find one here was odd luck.

Toshi stood out on a balcony in the fortress, surveying the wasted village below. This clan of warriors had so disappointed him. The only one that fought back was that pathetic old man. Even Igaguri, with all his supposed wisdom and cunning, was little more than a chattering monkey. Still, the old man wasn't cracking. He was so devoted to that brat of a summoner.

A puff of smoke bloomed in the night air. A sleek vulpine stepped out of the mana, sitting patiently next to Toshi. The samurai was so disappointed in this beast, too. He heard legends about a summon spirit created by the hands of half-elves, a species so superior that they had enslaved the world for over four thousand years. It was stubborn at first, yes. But it had given in. The beast had some value, though. It kept the ninja girl on her toes, at the very least.

"_I hope you have something important to tell me_," Toshi flatly spoke.

Verius lowered his head, "_I saw the death of your king._"

Toshi smiled. That dumb summoner was strong enough to destroy the one thing that supported life in his city. He didn't admit missing the creature, though. That granfalloon could rot in chunks for all he cared. He did wonder, ". . ._and my brother?_"

"_He is fine. Distraught, as one may imagine, but alive,_" Verius reported.

A dry laugh came from the foreign man's throat. "_He is not as weak as he once was._" Toshi turned to the kitsune and asked, "_What of my other request?_"

"_I am working on it,_" Verius nodded. "_A suitable opportunity presented itself. I was able to extract one_."

"_Good dog,_" Toshi sneered. Verius winced at the word, but let it slip. His master demanded, "_What happened?_"

Verius explained, "_Most of them are trapped in a field of false mana. It's merely a matter of catching them as they fall and sending them on their way._"

Toshi smirked again, "_I like the way you think, Verius. Where did that one go?_"

"_Probably the Aetherworlds,_" the kitsune frowned. He hated the look on that boy's face when he dissolved into nothing but mana. The boy was dying. He should have just let him go. But, that really wasn't enough. It was so easy, with his body as nothing but atoms. It just took a push in the right direction.

"_I've heard stories about the Aetherworlds. Lands filled with demons and shadows of powerful beasts_," Toshi let his mind drift for a moment. The thought of that despicable group being swallowed up by elemental spirits was enjoyable. After a moment, he thought of one more thing, "_. . .before you go, Verius, I have one more task._"

"_Yes, master,_" the vulpine nodded.

"_When the intolerable one with red hair dies, make sure you get his sword,_" Toshi leaned over the balcony, glancing at the Sword of Tengu glowing below, giving life to the fortress. "_I would like to get to work as soon as possible_."

Verius shuddered, but then nodded. There was no choice but to obey, even if it meant giving a sword capable of ripping the universe apart to a madman. To refuse would mean the end of his existence.

* * *

If nothing else, ninja society is built on unanswered questions. Sheena had lived most of her life accepting that. The more complex her question was, the less likely it was going to get answered. That was fine—she'd usually find out the answer on her own. It was always the tiniest of questions that bothered her. If her largest problems could be slimmed down to one question, it would be "Why?" Of course, many questions are able to be chopped into this form, but there was still something striking about it on its own. Why?

A variety of emotions rushed through her body. Anger was the most prominent one at the moment. She couldn't imagine how terrible Raine must have felt, watching her brother being caught up in the middle of a stampede and then having the ground give way underneath him. There was no way to get down to Genis, either. The sides of the crevasse were too steep, and the atmosphere surrounding the zone was hot with concentrated mana. It didn't hurt to stick her hand in it for a few seconds, but she wondered what would happen if she was completely exposed. A sick thought ran through her mind—maybe it was like acid or lava.

It wasn't fair. The whole thing happened so randomly. There was no indication of spells going awry like this before. The ground had seemed stable. If they could get to Genis, Sheena knew that Raine could heal him. She'd seen the professor bring people back from the brink of death before. That was what frustrated her most about the entire situation. Everything should have been in their grasp. Where had they lost control?

"_Back_."

"That voice again," Raine muttered after an eternity of staring into the abyss.

Sheena bristled, "I'm not listening to it. If we had ignored it—"

"It's not the voice's fault," Raine sighed. She picked up her staff and stood up. "I'm his big sister. I should have been protecting him."

"Oh, like you would have known about this!" Sheena growled. She liked it when people accepted their responsibilities, but this was a bit much. There was no way for Raine to have known that her brother would have done what he did, never-the-less the whole meeting with the deer and the chase.

Raine ignored her. She leaned over the side of the gargantuan hole, contemplating plans in her head. Sheena didn't like the look of it. She took the professor's sleeve and held it. It wasn't a yank backwards or anything, but it was a way to get her point across. She wasn't going to have the only friend around do something stupid like jumping into a pit of toxic mana.

Sheena frowned, but spoke her mind. "There's some other way we could investigate this. I could summon a spirit. They're usually keen on this stuff."

"Don't be suicidal!" Raine scolded her. "You saw what happened when Genis used a fraction of Gnome's power. Imagine what would happen if a summon spirit was here! The entire area could implode!"

"Geez, that's kind of a gloom and doom prediction," Sheena grumbled. She liked it that Raine was still analyzing their situation, but she was so sharp and harsh about it.

The healer looked out into the dark mist. "We can't afford to have any other mistakes."

Both women spent some time studying the abyss. Raine's eyes were closed, the slightest of tears bubbling on the edge of her lashes. Sheena ran through a Mizuho chant in her head, hoping that the souls of the dead would be appeased by her silent prayer. It didn't feel right to leave Genis down there. The kid deserved something more than a couple of quiet mediators on the edge of oblivion.

After an eternity of silence, Sheena asked, "What should we do now?"

"We follow the voice. We try to figure out what's going on. If it's at all possible, we come back here and try to find my brother," Raine stated in a cold tone only a military officer could possess.

"We're just going to play along with whatever's going on?" Sheena was outraged.

Raine snapped at the ninja, "Right now, it's the safest option. If one of us dies, then so does the other. We've got to be unified on what we do. Do you get that?"

There was a hard pause as Sheena thought about what Raine said. She backed down, deciding it wasn't worth arguing over, "Okay. Teamwork it is."

After one last moment of solitude, the ninja and the healer left the abyss. They were still sick about the entire situation, but at least they were unified again.

* * *

Lloyd shifted behind a large trunk, barely dodging a plume of fire. It curled its way around the thick trees, quickly reaching the leaves at the top. Smoke blossomed from the damage in huge puffs. If fatigue wasn't starting to get to him, he would have used the smoke's cover as his opportunity to strike. At the moment, he was content to hide behind the trees and hope that the animal he encountered would just forget him.

Although he'd never grown up on a farm or a ranch, Lloyd could take a guess at how a proper bull was supposed to act. He assumed they were somewhat territorial, but probably not bad unless they were provoked. That was the part that Lloyd was having trouble with. He was running through the forest, minding his own business, when the beast had lunged at him. Maybe it was his red pants. The professor talked about a kind of sport which required a red piece of cloth and a bull. A sport couldn't be instinctual, could it?

There was a flash of light in the corner of his eye. Lloyd readied his sword. He just about struck down the light when he realized it was just Zelos. The redhead popped down next to him like nothing was going on. He smiled, "Hey, Lloyd! You'll never guess who I found."

A bass roar rocked next to the Chosen. Lloyd grabbed onto his hand and yanked him along, "Walk and talk!"

"What the hell is that?" Zelos asked. He shrieked in surprise as the bull tore through the forest behind them. It rooted up trunks with its face like they were made of foam.

Lloyd zigzagged through the forest, hoping to through the bull off. "It's a boy cow. Now, what were you saying?"

"I know what a—oh, screw it," Zelos grumbled. "I flew into Colette."

Lloyd laughed, "Great! How's she doing?"

"Oh, fine. We've got to get out of the forest," Zelos made a nervous glance behind him. The bull huffed cinders from its nostrils, and another tree went down. The Chosen shook his head and took lead, "This way! Hurry it up!"

Both swordsmen continued leaping through the forest like confused gazelle. Trees collapsed right and left of them, but Lloyd paid no mind to it. The bull was fast, but so were they. He could feel his legs and the tips of his hair burning. They passed through one final row and broke out into the cool night air. At least the sense of claustrophobia was gone. There was a new dread, though.

"What the hell is that stuff?" Lloyd pointed to the sickly field of purple mist.

"I don't know," Zelos hissed, almost exasperated. He drew his sword and prepared to meet up with the bull. "Last time I listen to Regal."

Lloyd was confused, "I thought you said you only saw Colette."

"I never said that. I just said the important part about seeing her," Zelos shrugged.

"For the love of—" Lloyd began, but was abruptly cut off by the beast tearing through the exit. He drew his other sword and launched at the bull. They collided, but Lloyd's strength wasn't nearly that of the larger animal. He was thrown to the side like an empty barrel at a rodeo. The boy managed to leave his mark, though. There was a frozen injury in the beast's side.

Zelos glanced at Lloyd, "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Lloyd wobbled to his feet, "Did I hurt it?"

"A little," Zelos said.

Lloyd sighed, "I was hoping for more than a little."

Zelos took a swipe at the bull, but he missed his mark. The creature was fast, for as bulky as it was. He winced as it knocked him over, his side smacking with pain. It charged the redhead. With lightning reflexes, he rolled out of the way before the bull could trample him. He hated to think of the pulpy mess that beast could make out of him. He cringed, thinking about what he'd look like at his funeral. Probably no better than a boiled stew.

Intervention finally arrived. A blur dropped out of the sky, "**Eagle Rage!**" Regal crashed into the bull's back, leaping off and landing behind Zelos. Colette dashed down from the sky, almost knocking Lloyd over in a big bear hug. He snickered, glad to have the blonde back.

"Alright, we're here. Now what?" Zelos shot a dirty look at Regal.

Regal clenched his teeth, "Let's get it further away from the forest, shall we?"

Lloyd volunteered for the job, "Leave it to me!" He took two clean horizontal swipes at the bull, then two vertical attacks, "**Tiger Blade!**" The bull snorted, but it didn't surrender its ground. He slammed his massive head at Lloyd, but the swordsman was able to block the blow. He struggled under the animal's immense power, losing his defensive position. He pushed forward and smashed the bull back with a mighty force, "**Raging Beast!**"

The bull retreated, backing into the purple haze. It recoiled from the fog, almost like it was polluted. Colette cheered Lloyd on, "It's working! You can do it!"

Lloyd pulled his shirt over his mouth, coughing violently. "That stuff is nasty! I can hardly breathe!"

The bull was having problems with it as well. It snorted and wheezed, black smoking billowing around it. With one heavy sneeze, it reignited its flames. In a split second, they blew out of proportion, knocking Lloyd back with its intense heat. The entire horizon went livid, glowing orange and rolling fire consuming it. The flames licked out at the team, clouding the beach with ash. The haze became like a living pool of fire.

Colette's jaw dropped. "What is that?"

"—raw mana," Regal clutched his temples. He could feel the energy wracking around inside of his brain. There was no way he could have known that answer. It seemed so logical, though. Where did it come from?

Zelos glared at him with disbelief, "What?"

Regal tried to explain as the flame from the poisoned haze grew, "It takes an element and . . . conducts it to its highest power."

"It smells awful," Colette frowned, "Before, it smelt like the ocean . . ."

"Isn't there some way to put this out? A giant water bucket or something?" Zelos snarled. "I'd rather not be barbequed. I don't tan so well."

Regal had a sickening realization. He could end it. He always could have ended it. The mana field was reaching out, and he'd been too thick to get it. Even the Aquamarine was trying to tell him. Colette got it, though. It smelt like the ocean. How could he be so stupid?

He turned to the blonde. "Colette. Go protect Lloyd. I will take care of this."

The girl nodded. She zipped towards Lloyd, the flames from the mana pool licking towards her. The swordsman was almost ready to collapse, surrounded on all sides by smoke and fire. He coughed, almost too weak to stand. The bull seemed to know this. He charged at the boy once more, flames burning in his path. Lloyd dodged the attack, but the blaze burned his left thigh. He cried out, but didn't drop his stance.

"You may want to get out of the way," Regal warned Zelos.

Zelos raised one eyebrow, "What do you think you're doing?"

Regal blew off the redhead's question. He knelt down, focusing his mind on the power ebbing from the Aquamarine. It was frail, but if he concentrated on it, he could feel its strength pulsing through his blood. The gem's element began to manifest, beads of rain trickling down from the fog above the fiery sea.

Colette grabbed onto Lloyd's shoulders, pulling him away from the bull and the surging mana. The beast was confused, preparing to charge them once again. There was a lick of energy from the fog, and it stopped. The flames were beginning to solidify into waves, losing their intense heat but gaining physical strength. The ocean of fire steamed, and then cooled as rain poured out of the fog hanging overhead.

"What's—" Colette gasped.

"Get out of here! Now!" Regal yelled at the group. Zelos quickly followed his command, running towards the forest. Colette followed him, half-dragging Lloyd towards safety. The swordsman fought her, still confused about what was going on. He shrugged her off, darting towards the bull once again. Colette called out for him, but he didn't return.

The entire ocean of mana lashed around the coastline, wrapping around Regal and the bull like thick blankets. It curled over Regal's body in wet ribbons, torrent after torrent dashing into the bull. The beast bellowed in rage, form hissing and melting in the deluge. He kept fighting through the barrage, pushing as hard as it could towards the duke. The ocean thrashed again, whipping around everything like a thousand liquid fists.

Lloyd's screams of protest were lost in the raging tempest. He saw Regal struggling to keep focused on the attack, the ocean drowning him in its intense power. He leapt into the water, only to be swept up in the rising tide. It went up for at least twenty feet in uneven spikes, like the field of water was thick meringue. His lungs burned with salt water. The ferocious sea was stripping the oxygen out of his body, feeding off of his power as well. He felt his body going limp, but he kept conscious.

Regal saw the boy swallowed in the attack. With a last burst of energy, he raised out his left hand. The ocean swarmed around him, then followed out in a straight line towards Lloyd. The swordsman's body flew backwards and out of the water, landing roughly on the beach. Colette raced to his side, delighted that he was breathing on his own. He propped himself up on his elbows, still protesting, "N-No!"

The gargantuan tempest towered for one more second, and then it collapsed in on itself. The tide sprayed everywhere, splattering against anything in its path. The water turned violet, becoming mana once more. It gushed for a few moments, and then receded back to where it was before. The rain remained, pelting against the sand in thick drops. The bull was gone—the storm had sucked its body away, destroying whatever it used to be.

Standing in the middle of the waning mana was a shadow of what used to be Regal. It was built roughly like him, but there was no stability to its form. The shadow looked at its hands in horror, realizing what had happened. His entire body was turning into mana. He could feel his body peeling apart into the mist from the inside out. It was a terrifying sensation, like slowly turning into drops of rain.

A last impulse shot through his brain. Comfort them. He looked at the tattered group on the beach with pity. They were mortified by what was happening. What could he say to them? It didn't matter—anything would have to do. They couldn't hear Regal, but his lips were clear enough. The shadow mouthed, "It's alright."

What was left of Regal Bryant collapsed into the beach and ebbed away as sea foam.

Colette was the first to react. She rushed over to the spot where the shadow once stood, anguished about what she saw. The sand was dry—it had all gone into the ocean of mana. Lloyd crawled over to Colette, still trying to get a hold on his breathing. She looked at him and tried to smile, but the expression died halfway in transition. Nausea churned in Zelos's stomach. He turned away from the shore and sat down, focusing on the forest. Anything would do for the moment. He wanted that memory wiped from his mind.

Lloyd coughed, "What—what was that?"

Colette's lip trembled, and she found herself unable to look at anyone. "He was sick, Lloyd. He didn't know what he was doing."

"That must have been Undine's power, right?" Zelos asked. He shook his head, numbness sinking in his brain. "That idiot knew what he was doing. He became a lightning rod for that stuff."

The thought sank into Lloyd's head. He trembled, "He was controlling the whole sea."

The trio sat on the beach for a few moments reflecting on what had happened. Zelos stared into the wall of fog and mana, haunted by the image in his head. Lloyd's brain hurt, oxygen rushing back to it in painful amounts. Colette looked pale, the color draining from her face and hands. She sniffled, and then her face began to tear up. The redhead and the swordsman glanced at her, both bearing a pang of pity in their heart. Zelos got up from his spot and sat next to her, giving the girl a quick hug. Lloyd held his arms out, and she hugged him too.

"It's okay, Colette," Lloyd reassured her.

She cried into his shoulder, unable to shake the scent around them. It smelt like the ocean. That's what she told him. That was his siren call. Buried in her friend's arms, she made a promise to herself. She wasn't going to lead anyone to their deaths anymore. It was time she started acting like a Chosen again.

There would be no more sacrifices for the one who should be sacrificed.

* * *

Author's Note:

Man, I'm not used to writing this dark. Woof.

Anyway, I know you're a very busy woman (or man) and you haven't got all day. Just let me hear your voice.


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